Correlation between β-fibrinogen gene -455G/A polymorphism and plasma fibrinogen level and lacunar infarction

Abstract

Objective To investigate the correlation between β-fibrinogen (FGB) gene -455G/A polymorphism and plasma fibrinogen (Fg) level and lacunar infarction (LI). Methods From June 2018 to August 2019, consecutive subjects without cerebrovascular disease and dementia admitted to the Department of Neurology, the People's Hospital of Liaoning Province were enrolled prospectively. According to whether there was LI or white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in brain MRI, the patients were divided into LI group, LI+ WMHs group and control group. Polymerase chain reaction and gene sequencing technology were used to detect FGB -455G/A polymorphism. The turbidimetry was used to measure plasma Fg level. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors for LI and LI+ WMHs. Results A total of 202 subjects were included, including 48 in the LI group, 58 in the LI+ WMHs group, and 96 in the control group. The proportions of patients with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperhomocysteinemia and plasma Fg levels in the LI and LI+ WMHs groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in FGB -455G/A genotype and allele frequency between the three groups. The plasma Fg level of AG+ AA genotype was significantly higher than that of GG genotype (P<0.001), and there was no significant difference in demography and other vascular risk factors. Regardless of the genotype, the plasma Fg level was highest in the LI+ WMHs group, followed by the LI group and the control group, and the differences between each pair were statistically significant (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 2.289, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.015-5.166, P=0.046; OR 2.457, 95% CI 1.021-5.913, P=0.045), dyslipidemia (OR 2.681, 95% CI 1.217-5.905, P=0.014; OR 3.061, 95% CI 1.296-7.233, P=0.011) and plasma Fg levels (OR 5.038, 95% CI 2.328-10.902, P<0.001; OR 20.198, 95% CI 8.143-50.097, P<0.001) were all the independent risk factors for LI and LI+ WMHs. Conclusions The increased plasma Fg level, dyslipidemia, and hypertension were the independent risk factors for LI and LI+ WMHs. Although FGB -455G/A polymorphism could affect plasma Fg level, it had no significant correlation with LI and LI+ WMHs. Key words: Stroke, lacunar; Stroke; Brain ischemia; Fibrinogen; Polymorphism, genetic; Cerebral small vessel diseases; White matter; Risk factors