Genetic Risk Factors for Perinatal Arterial Ischemic Stroke

The cause of perinatal arterial ischemic stroke is unknown in most cases. We explored whether genetic polymorphisms modify the risk of perinatal arterial ischemic stroke. In a population-based case-control study of 1997-2002 births at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, we identified 13 white infants with perinatal arterial ischemic stroke. Control subjects included 86 randomly selected white infants. We genotyped polymorphisms in nine genes involved in inflammation, thrombosis, or lipid metabolism previously linked with stroke, and compared genotype frequencies in case and control individuals. We tested several polymorphisms: tumor necrosis factor-α −308, interleukin-6, lymphotoxin A, factor V Leiden, methyltetrahydrofolate reductase 1298 and 667, prothrombin 20210, and apolipoprotein E ε2 and ε4 alleles. Patients with perinatal arterial ischemic stroke were more likely than control subjects to demonstrate at least one apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (54% vs 25%, P = 0.03). More patients with perinatal arterial ischemic stroke carried two ε4 alleles than did control subjects (15% vs 2%, P = 0.09), although this finding lacked statistical significance. Proinflammatory and prothrombotic polymorphisms were not associated with perinatal arterial ischemic stroke. The apolipoprotein E polymorphism may confer genetic susceptibility for perinatal arterial ischemic stroke. Larger population-based studies are required to confirm this finding.