Genetic variants on chromosome 9p21 confer risks of cerebral infarction in the Chinese population: a meta-analysis

Ischemic stroke (IS) is the leading cause of disability. Researchers have demonstrated that IS is more a multifactorial disorder than a single-factor disease. At present, no consistent conclusions have been reached on susceptibility loci for IS on chromosome 9p21. We conducted this meta-analysis to verify whether genetic loci on chromosome 9p21 reported domestically and abroad could be responsible for IS in Chinese populations. We analyzed data from eight studies that covered a total of 9756 individuals with Chinese ancestry comprising 4254 cases and 5502 controls. Each of the four reported susceptibility loci (rs2383206, rs2383207, rs10757274, and rs10757278) was analyzed separately. The odds ratios (ORs) of rs2383206 and rs10757274 were 1.09 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–1.06, P = 0.01) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.01–1.17, P = 0.03), respectively. For rs2383207, OR value was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84–0.98, P = 0.01). No statistical association was identified for rs10757278. We have verified previous associations for IS in Chinese populations on chromosome 9p21. Loci rs2383206 and rs10757274 may increase susceptibility to IS. Mutation at locus rs2383207 may be beneficial. However, we are unable to identify any association between rs10757278 and IS.