Connection between p53 gene Bam HI RFLP polymorphism with the volume of brain infarction in patients with carotid atherothrombotic ischemic stroke

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Skvortsova, V.I. | Slominsky, P.A. | Gubskii, L.V. | Koltsova, E.A. | Shetova, I.M. | Platonova, I.A. | Tupitsyna, T.I. | Khrunin, A.V. | Limborska, S.A.

Affiliations: Department of Fundamental and Clinical Neurology, Russian State Medical University, Moscow, Russia | Department of Molecular Genetics of Inherited Diseases, Institute of Molecular Genetics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Note: [] Corresponding author: Dr. V.I. Skvortsova, MD, Professor, Neurology & Neurosurgery Clinic, Namiotkina str., 29-1-125, Moscow 117420, Russia. Tel.: +7 95 331 3636; Fax: +7 95 471 25 71; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Purpose: The aim of our investigation was to study the connection between p53 gene Bam HI RFLP polymorphism and the brain infarction volume in patients with atherothrombotic ischemic stroke that could highlight certain genetic aspects of the individual sensibility of brain tissue to acute ischemia. Materials and Methods: Diallelic Bam HI RFLP polymorphism in 5' flanking region p53 gene was studied in 96 patients with carotid atherothrombotic stroke from Moscow population. Magnetic resonance imaging was conducted on day 7 after the stroke onset. The manual morphometry and "Osiris" morphometric hardware (by the Hospital of the University of Geneva) were used for assessment of the infarction volume. Results: The predominance of small-size infarctions (< 40 cm^3) was revealed in patients with (-/-) Bam HI RFLP p53 genotype versus patients with (-/+) (χ^2 = 19.7; P < 0.001) and (+/+) (χ^2 = 12.288; P < 0.001) genotypes. According to the Bayesian's statistics, in patients with (-/-) p53 Bam HI genotype the development of a small-size infarction in atherothrombotic ischemic stroke can be prognosticated with probability more than 65%. Conclusions A significant association between p53 gene Bam HI RFLP polymorphism and the infarction volume was found in patients with carotid atherothrombotic stroke from Moscow population. These results additionally confirm that apoptosis plays an important role in the formation of ischemic brain lesion and that drugs with anti-apoptotic properties may prove beneficial in stroke patients.

Keywords: cerebral ischemia, atherothrombotic stroke, p53 gene, infarction volume

Journal: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 81-85, 2004