OBJECTIVETo examine the relationship between intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) gene polymorphism and ischemic stroke (IS) in Chinese Zhuang populations.

METHODSThe K469E polymorphism in the exon 6 of ICAM-1 gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing in 205 patients with IS of Zhuang nationality and in 210 healthy controls, and the serum level of ICAM-1 was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSThe IS group showed significantly higher serum levels of ICAM-1 than did the control group (P < 0.01). There was significant difference in frequencies of allele and genotype in K469E polymorphism between IS and control groups, respectively (P < 0.05). The K allele carriers had 1.424 times the risk of suffering from IS as compared with the E allele carriers (OR = 1.424, 95% CI: 1.071 - 1.894); the serum ICAM-1 level of E allele carriers was significantly higher than that of K allele carriers (501.24 +/- 139.56 ng/ml vs 475.17 +/- 118.35 ng/ml, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThere is an association between ICAM-1 gene K469E polymorphism and IS, and E allele may be a genetic risk factor of IS among Guangxi Zhuangs, in which the ICAM-1 E allele carriers may have up-regulated expression of ICAM-1 and hence are at a higher risk of ischemic stroke.