Genetic Polymorphism TNFα -308G>A and Ischemic Stroke in Northern Romania

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in Romania. Evidence in supporting the role of the pro-infl ammatory cytokine TNFalpha in ischemic pathogenesis is now well established. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between TNF -308G>A polymorphism and ischemic stroke in a Northern Romanian population group and to determine whether it has an infl uence on the risk of cerebral events. This is a cross-sectional, randomized, case-control study for the evaluation of TNF -308G>A polymorphism alleles frequency among patients with ischemic stroke. Material and method: The study included 108 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke (neurological and CT scan examination), and 118 healthy unrelated controls. TNF -308G>A genotyping was carried out using PCR-RFLP technique. The amplifi cation of the relevant gene fragment was subjected to restriction enzyme digestion, followed by gel electrophoresis. Results: Molecular analysis did not reveal an increased frequency of GA mutant genotype in the study group compared to the control group (p = 0.879, OR = 0.928, CI = 0.512-1.682). Conclusions:We found no signifi cant differences in distribution of the TNF -308G>A polymorphism between ischemic stroke patients and controls.