The Impact of Conventional Stroke Risk Factors on Early and Late Onset Ischemic Stroke: a Mendelian Randomization Study.

Objective: Although stroke incidence is decreasing in older ages, it is increasing in young adults. While these divergent trends in stroke incidence are at least partially attributable to diverging prevalence trends in stoke risk factors, age-dependent differences in the impact of stroke risk factors on stroke may also contribute. To address this issue, we utilized Mendelian Randomization (MR) to assess differences in the association of stroke risk factors between early onset ischemic stroke (EOS) and late onset ischemic stroke (LOS). Methods: We employed a two-sample MR design with inverse variance weighting as the primary method of analysis. Using large publicly available genome-wide association summary results, we calculated MR estimates for conventional stroke risk factors (body mass index, total, HDL-and LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, type 2 diabetes, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and smoking) in EOS cases (onset 18-59 years, n = 6,728) and controls from the Early Onset Stroke Consortium and in LOS cases (onset ≥ 60 years, n = 9,272) and controls from the Stroke Genetics Network. We then compared odds ratios between EOS and LOS, stratified by TOAST subtypes, to determine if any differences observed between effect sizes could be attributed to differences in the distribution of stroke subtypes. Results: EOS was significantly associated with all risk factors except for total cholesterol levels, and LOS was associated with all risk factors except for triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. The associations of BMI, DBP, SBP, and HDL-cholesterol were significantly stronger in EOS than LOS (all p < 0.004). The differential distribution of stroke subtypes could not explain the difference in effect size observed between EOS and LOS. Conclusion: These results suggest that interventions targeted at lowering body mass index and blood pressure may be particularly important for reducing stroke risk in young adults.

Contribution of Common Genetic Variants to Risk of Early Onset Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Current genome-wide association studies of ischemic stroke have focused primarily on late onset disease. As a complement to these studies, we sought to identifythe contribution of common genetic variants to risk of early onset ischemic stroke. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of early onset stroke (EOS), ages 18-59, using individual level data or summary statistics in 16,730 cases and 599,237 non-stroke controls obtained across 48 different studies. We further compared effect sizes at associated loci between EOS and late onset stroke (LOS) and compared polygenic risk scores for venous thromboembolism between EOS and LOS. RESULTS: We observed genome-wide significant associations of EOS with two variants in ABO, a known stroke locus. These variants tag blood subgroups O1 and A1, and the effect sizes of both variants were significantly larger in EOS compared to LOS. The odds ratio (OR) for rs529565, tagging O1, 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85-0.91) in EOS vs 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92-1.00) in LOS, and the OR for rs635634, tagging A1, was 1.16 (1.11-1.21) for EOS vs 1.05 (0.99-1.11) in LOS; p-values for interaction = 0.001 and 0.005, respectively. Using polygenic risk scores, we observed that greater genetic risk for venous thromboembolism, another prothrombotic condition, was more strongly associated with EOS compared to LOS (p=0.008). DISCUSSION: The ABO locus, genetically predicted blood group A, and higher genetic propensity for venous thrombosis are more strongly associated with EOS than with LOS, supporting a stronger role of prothrombotic factors in EOS.

Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody Index in the Cerebrospinal Fluid for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Rheumatoid Meningitis.

Rheumatoid meningitis (RM) is a rare but often aggressive neurological complication of rheumatoid arthritis. The diagnosis of RM, besides the clinical, radiological, and laboratory criteria, usually requires a cerebral biopsy. Based on the two cases presented in this paper, we propose a new laboratory marker. Cerebrospinal fluid and serum anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) IgG were measured, and the intrathecal synthesis of anti-CCP antibodies (anti-CCP antibody index) was calculated using the hyperbolic function. The anti-CCP antibody index was positive in both cases at first diagnosis and progressively decreased after treatments. Together with clinical and radiological criteria, the calculation of the anti-CCP intrathecal synthesis, more than the simple measurement of serum or cerebrospinal fluid anti-CCP antibody titers, may represent a useful tool for RM diagnosis and, possibly, for treatment response.

Antiplatelet drugs for secondary prevention in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Antiplatelet drugs may prevent recurrent ischemic events after ischemic stroke but their relative effectiveness and harms still need to be clarified. Within this network meta-analysis we aimed to summarize the current evidence for using antiplatelet drugs for secondary stroke prevention. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL up to September 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing antiplatelet drugs for secondary stroke prevention were included. We did pairwise meta-analyses and network meta-analyses using random-effects models. Primary outcomes were all strokes (ischemic or hemorrhagic) and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The review included 57 RCTs, 50 (n = 165,533 participants) provided data for the meta-analyses. Compared to placebo/no treatment, moderate to high-confidence evidence indicated that cilostazol, clopidogrel, dipyridamole + aspirin, ticagrelor, ticlopidine, and aspirin ≤ 150 mg/day significantly reduced the risk of all strokes (odds ratios, ORs and absolute risk difference, ARD): cilostazol 0.51 (95 % confidence interval, CI, 0.37 to 0.71; 3.6 % fewer), clopidogrel 0.63 (95 % CI, 0.49 to 0.79; 2.7 % fewer), dipyridamole + aspirin 0.65 (95 % CI, 0.55 to 0.78; 2.5 % fewer), ticagrelor 0.68 (95 % CI, 0.50 to 0.93; 2.3 % fewer), ticlopidine 0.74 (95 % CI 0.59 to 0.93; 1.9 % fewer), aspirin ≤ 150 mg/day 0.79 (95 % CI, 0.66 to 0.95; 1.5 % fewer). Aspirin > 150 mg/day and the combinations clopidogrel/aspirin, ticagrelor/aspirin, also decrease all strokes but increase the risk of hemorrhagic events. Only aspirin > 150 mg/day significantly reduced all-cause mortality (OR 0.86, 95 % CI 0.76 to 0.97; ARD 0.9 %, 95 %CI 1.5-0.2 % fewer, moderate confidence). Compared to aspirin ≤ 150 mg/day, clopidogrel significantly reduced the risk of all strokes, cardiovascular events, and intracranial hemorrhage outcomes. Cilostazol also appeared to provide advantages but data are limited to the Asian population. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the benefits and harms ratio, cilostazol, clopidogrel, dipyridamole + aspirin, ticagrelor, ticlopidine, and aspirin ≤ 150 mg/day appear to be the best choices as antiplatelet drugs for secondary prevention of patients with ischemic stroke or TIA. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020159896 .

Antihypertensive Drugs for Secondary Prevention After Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Approximately 30% of ischemic strokes occur after a previous stroke or transient ischemic attack. Arterial hypertension is one of the best established risk factors for first and recurrent stroke, both ischemic and hemorrhagic. Guidelines for the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke support the use of blood pressure (BP)-lowering drugs in most patients. However, the evidence for these recommendations comes from meta-analyses that included both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients, whereas these 2 conditions differ quantitatively in several aspects. With this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed at summarizing the current evidence on BP-lowering drugs for secondary prevention in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to January 31, 2020. We included randomized controlled trials comparing any specific BP-lowering drug, as monotherapy or combination, with either a control or another BP-lowering drug. RESULTS: Eight studies that enrolled 33 774 patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were included in the meta-analysis. Mean follow-up was 25 months (range, 3-48). Moderate-quality evidence indicated that a subsequent stroke occurred in 7.9% (ischemic in 7.4% or hemorrhagic in 0.6%) of patients taking any type of BP-lowering drug compared with 9.7% of patients taking placebo (odds ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.66-0.94]; absolute risk difference, -1.9% [95% CI, -3.1% to -0.5%]). Moderate-quality evidence indicated that mortality occurred similarly in patients taking any type of BP-lowering treatment compared with placebo, with an absolute risk of 7.3% and 7.9%, respectively (odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.92-1.10]; absolute risk difference, 0.1% [95% CI, -0.6% to 0.7%]). CONCLUSIONS: The use of BP-lowering drugs in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack is associated with a 1.9% risk reduction of stroke but does not affect the all-cause mortality risk.

Publisher Correction: Multiancestry genome-wide association study of 520,000 subjects identifies 32 loci associated with stroke and stroke subtypes.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Comparison of statins for secondary prevention in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Statins may prevent recurrent ischemic events after ischemic stroke. Determining which statin to use remains controversial. We aimed to summarize the evidence for the use of statins in secondary prevention for patients with ischemic stroke by comparing benefits and harms of various statins. METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing statins in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL up to July 2017. Two authors extracted data and appraised risks of bias. We performed pairwise meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses (TSA) to compare statins versus placebo/no statin, and network meta-analyses using frequentist random-effects models to compare statins through indirect evidence. We used GRADE to rate the overall certainty of evidence. Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and all strokes. Secondary outcomes were different types of strokes, cardiovascular events, and adverse events. RESULTS: We identified nine trials (10,741 patients). No head-to-head RCTs were found. The median follow-up period was 2.5 years. Statins did not seem to modify all stroke and all-cause mortality outcomes; they were associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke (odds ratio, OR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.70 to 0.93]; absolute risk difference, ARD, - 1.6% [95% CI, - 2.6 to - 0.6%]), ischemic stroke or TIA (OR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.64 to 0.87]; ARD, - 4.2% [95% CI, - 6.2 to - 2.1%]), and cardiovascular event (OR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.69 to 0.83]; ARD, - 5.4% [95% CI, - 6.8 to - 3.6%]), and did not seem to modify rhabdomyolysis, myalgia, or rise in creatine kinase. In the comparison of different statins, moderate- to high-quality evidence indicated that differences between pharmaceutical products seemed modest, with high doses (e.g., atorvastatin 80 mg/day and simvastatin 40 mg/day) associated with the greatest benefits. TSA excluded random error as a cause of the findings for ischemic stroke and cardiovascular event outcomes. Evidence for increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke was sensitive to the exclusion of the SPARCL trial. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence strongly suggests that statins are associated with a reduction in the absolute risk of ischemic strokes and cardiovascular events. Differences in effects among statins were modest, signaling potential therapeutic equivalence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42018079112.

Serum magnesium and calcium levels in relation to ischemic stroke: Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether serum magnesium and calcium concentrations are causally associated with ischemic stroke or any of its subtypes using the mendelian randomization approach. METHODS: Analyses were conducted using summary statistics data for 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms robustly associated with serum magnesium (n = 6) or serum calcium (n = 7) concentrations. The corresponding data for ischemic stroke were obtained from the MEGASTROKE consortium (34,217 cases and 404,630 noncases). RESULTS: In standard mendelian randomization analysis, the odds ratios for each 0.1 mmol/L (about 1 SD) increase in genetically predicted serum magnesium concentrations were 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.89; p = 1.3 × 10-4) for all ischemic stroke, 0.63 (95% CI 0.50-0.80; p = 1.6 × 10-4) for cardioembolic stroke, and 0.60 (95% CI 0.44-0.82; p = 0.001) for large artery stroke; there was no association with small vessel stroke (odds ratio 0.90, 95% CI 0.67-1.20; p = 0.46). Only the association with cardioembolic stroke was robust in sensitivity analyses. There was no association of genetically predicted serum calcium concentrations with all ischemic stroke (per 0.5 mg/dL [about 1 SD] increase in serum calcium: odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.88-1.21) or with any subtype. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that genetically higher serum magnesium concentrations are associated with a reduced risk of cardioembolic stroke but found no significant association of genetically higher serum calcium concentrations with any ischemic stroke subtype.

Multiancestry genome-wide association study of 520,000 subjects identifies 32 loci associated with stroke and stroke subtypes.

Stroke has multiple etiologies, but the underlying genes and pathways are largely unknown. We conducted a multiancestry genome-wide-association meta-analysis in 521,612 individuals (67,162 cases and 454,450 controls) and discovered 22 new stroke risk loci, bringing the total to 32. We further found shared genetic variation with related vascular traits, including blood pressure, cardiac traits, and venous thromboembolism, at individual loci (n = 18), and using genetic risk scores and linkage-disequilibrium-score regression. Several loci exhibited distinct association and pleiotropy patterns for etiological stroke subtypes. Eleven new susceptibility loci indicate mechanisms not previously implicated in stroke pathophysiology, with prioritization of risk variants and genes accomplished through bioinformatics analyses using extensive functional datasets. Stroke risk loci were significantly enriched in drug targets for antithrombotic therapy.

Intravenous infusion of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells promotes functional recovery and neuroplasticity after ischemic stroke in mice.

Transplantation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (hBM-MSC) promotes functional recovery after stroke in animal models, but the mechanisms underlying these effects remain incompletely understood. We tested the efficacy of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant hBM-MSC, injected intravenously 3.5 hours after injury in mice subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo). We addressed whether hBM-MSC are efficacious and if this efficacy is associated with cortical circuit reorganization using neuroanatomical analysis of GABAergic neurons (parvalbumin; PV-positive cells) and perineuronal nets (PNN), a specialized extracellular matrix structure which acts as an inhibitor of neural plasticity. tMCAo mice receiving hBM-MSC, showed early and lasting improvement of sensorimotor and cognitive functions compared to control tMCAo mice. Furthermore, 5 weeks post-tMCAo, hBM-MSC induced a significant rescue of ipsilateral cortical neurons; an increased proportion of PV-positive neurons in the perilesional cortex, suggesting GABAergic interneurons preservation; and a lower percentage of PV-positive cells surrounded by PNN, indicating an enhanced plastic potential of the perilesional cortex. These results show that hBM-MSC improve functional recovery and stimulate neuroprotection after stroke. Moreover, the downregulation of "plasticity brakes" such as PNN suggests that hBM-MSC treatment stimulates plasticity and formation of new connections in the perilesional cortex.

Protection of Brain Injury by Amniotic Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Secreted Metabolites.

OBJECTIVES: To define the features of human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cell secretome and its protective properties in experimental models of acute brain injury. DESIGN: Prospective experimental study. SETTING: Laboratory research. SUBJECTS: C57Bl/6 mice. INTERVENTIONS: Mice subjected to sham or traumatic brain injury by controlled cortical impact received human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells or phosphate-buffered saline infused intracerebroventricularly or intravenously 24 hours after injury. Organotypic cortical brain slices exposed to ischemic injury by oxygen-glucose deprivation were treated with human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells or with their secretome (conditioned medium) in a transwell system. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Traumatic brain injured mice receiving human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells intravenously or intracerebroventricularly showed early and lasting functional and anatomical brain protection. cortical slices injured by oxigen-glucose deprivation and treated with human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells or conditioned medium showed comparable protective effects (neuronal rescue, promotion of M2 microglia polarization, induction of trophic factors) indicating that the exposure of human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells to the injured tissue is not necessary for the release of bioactive factors. Using sequential size-exclusion and gel-filtration chromatography, we identified a conditioned medium subfraction, which specifically displays these highly protective properties and we found that this fraction was rich in bioactive molecules with molecular weight smaller than 700 Da. Quantitative RNA analysis and mass spectrometry-based peptidomics showed that the active factors are not proteins or RNAs. The metabolomic profiling of six metabolic classes identified a list of molecules whose abundance was selectively elevated in the active conditioned medium fraction. CONCLUSIONS: Human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cell-secreted factors protect the brain after acute injury. Importantly, a fraction rich in metabolites, and containing neither proteic nor ribonucleic molecules was protective. This study indicates the profiling of protective factors that could be useful in cell-free therapeutic approaches for acute brain injury.

Clinical Pregenetic Screening for Stroke Monogenic Diseases: Results From Lombardia GENS Registry.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Lombardia GENS is a multicentre prospective study aimed at diagnosing 5 single-gene disorders associated with stroke (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, Fabry disease, MELAS [mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes], hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and Marfan syndrome) by applying diagnostic algorithms specific for each clinically suspected disease METHODS: We enrolled a consecutive series of patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or transient ischemic attack admitted in stroke units in the Lombardia region participating in the project. Patients were defined as probable when presenting with stroke or transient ischemic attack of unknown etiopathogenic causes, or in the presence of <3 conventional vascular risk factors or young age at onset, or positive familial history or of specific clinical features. Patients fulfilling diagnostic algorithms specific for each monogenic disease (suspected) were referred for genetic analysis. RESULTS: In 209 patients (57.4±14.7 years), the application of the disease-specific algorithm identified 227 patients with possible monogenic disease. Genetic testing identified pathogenic mutations in 7% of these cases. Familial history of stroke was the only significant specific feature that distinguished mutated patients from nonmutated ones. The presence of cerebrovascular risk factors did not exclude a genetic disease. CONCLUSIONS: In patients prescreened using a clinical algorithm for monogenic disorders, we identified monogenic causes of events in 7% of patients in comparison to the 1% to 5% prevalence reported in previous series.

Low-frequency and common genetic variation in ischemic stroke: The METASTROKE collaboration.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of common and low-frequency genetic variants on the risk of ischemic stroke (all IS) and etiologic stroke subtypes. METHODS: We meta-analyzed 12 individual genome-wide association studies comprising 10,307 cases and 19,326 controls imputed to the 1000 Genomes (1 KG) phase I reference panel. We selected variants showing the highest degree of association (p < 1E-5) in the discovery phase for replication in Caucasian (13,435 cases and 29,269 controls) and South Asian (2,385 cases and 5,193 controls) samples followed by a transethnic meta-analysis. We further investigated the p value distribution for different bins of allele frequencies for all IS and stroke subtypes. RESULTS: We showed genome-wide significance for 4 loci: ABO for all IS, HDAC9 for large vessel disease (LVD), and both PITX2 and ZFHX3 for cardioembolic stroke (CE). We further refined the association peaks for ABO and PITX2. Analyzing different allele frequency bins, we showed significant enrichment in low-frequency variants (allele frequency <5%) for both LVD and small vessel disease, and an enrichment of higher frequency variants (allele frequency 10% and 30%) for CE (all p < 1E-5). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the missing heritability in IS subtypes can in part be attributed to low-frequency and rare variants. Larger sample sizes are needed to identify the variants associated with all IS and stroke subtypes.

Causal Assessment of Serum Urate Levels in Cardiometabolic Diseases Through a Mendelian Randomization Study.

BACKGROUND: Although epidemiological studies have reported positive associations between circulating urate levels and cardiometabolic diseases, causality remains uncertain. OBJECTIVES: Through a Mendelian randomization approach, we assessed whether serum urate levels are causally relevant in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic stroke, and heart failure (HF). METHODS: This study investigated 28 single nucleotide polymorphisms known to regulate serum urate levels in association with various vascular and nonvascular risk factors to assess pleiotropy. To limit genetic confounding, 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms exclusively associated with serum urate levels were used in a genetic risk score to assess associations with the following cardiometabolic diseases (cases/controls): T2DM (26,488/83,964), CHD (54,501/68,275), ischemic stroke (14,779/67,312), and HF (4,526/18,400). As a positive control, this study also investigated our genetic instrument in 3,151 gout cases and 68,350 controls. RESULTS: Serum urate levels, increased by 1 SD due to the genetic score, were not associated with T2DM, CHD, ischemic stroke, or HF. These results were in contrast with previous prospective studies that did observe increased risks of these 4 cardiometabolic diseases for an equivalent increase in circulating urate levels. However, a 1 SD increase in serum urate levels due to the genetic score was associated with increased risk of gout (odds ratio: 5.84; 95% confidence interval: 4.56 to 7.49), which was directionally consistent with previous observations. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence from this study does not support a causal role of circulating serum urate levels in T2DM, CHD, ischemic stroke, or HF. Decreasing serum urate levels may not translate into risk reductions for cardiometabolic conditions.

Is Period3 Genotype Associated With Sleep and Recovery in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness?

Background Sleep evaluation is increasingly being used as prognostic tool in patients with disorders of consciousness, but, surprisingly, the role of Period3 (Per3) gene polymorphism has never been evaluated. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of Per3 genotype on sleep quantity and consciousness recovery level in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). Methods In this observational study, we evaluated 71 patients with DOC classified as vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome or minimally conscious state. Demographic and clinical data were collected and a standardised diagnostic workup, including a polysomnographic record, was applied. After informed consent provided by proxy, genomic DNA was obtained and Per3 polymorphism was analysed by polymerase chain reaction to identify 5/5, 4/5, or 4/4 genotype. Results Per3(5/5) genotype was found in 12.7% of our DOC patients. The median total Coma Recovery Scale-revised score in Per3(5/5) carriers was significantly higher than 4/4 genotype (10, range 5-16 vs 7, range 4-11; post hoc P = .036). Moreover, total sleep time seemed to be higher in 5/5 genotype (5/5, 221 minutes, range 88-515 minutes; 4/4, 151.5 minutes, range 36-477 minutes; and 4/5, 188 minutes, range 44-422 minutes). Conclusion For the first time we have shown a possible association between Per3 polymorphism and consciousness recovery level in DOC patients. Even though the exact molecular mechanism has not been defined, we speculate that its effect is mediated by higher total sleep time and slow wave sleep, which would improve the preservation of main cerebral connections.

Genome-wide meta-analysis of cerebral white matter hyperintensities in patients with stroke.

OBJECTIVE: For 3,670 stroke patients from the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Belgium, and Italy, we performed a genome-wide meta-analysis of white matter hyperintensity volumes (WMHV) on data imputed to the 1000 Genomes reference dataset to provide insights into disease mechanisms. METHODS: We first sought to identify genetic associations with white matter hyperintensities in a stroke population, and then examined whether genetic loci previously linked to WMHV in community populations are also associated in stroke patients. Having established that genetic associations are shared between the 2 populations, we performed a meta-analysis testing which associations with WMHV in stroke-free populations are associated overall when combined with stroke populations. RESULTS: There were no associations at genome-wide significance with WMHV in stroke patients. All previously reported genome-wide significant associations with WMHV in community populations shared direction of effect in stroke patients. In a meta-analysis of the genome-wide significant and suggestive loci (p < 5 × 10(-6)) from community populations (15 single nucleotide polymorphisms in total) and from stroke patients, 6 independent loci were associated with WMHV in both populations. Four of these are novel associations at the genome-wide level (rs72934505 [NBEAL1], p = 2.2 × 10(-8); rs941898 [EVL], p = 4.0 × 10(-8); rs962888 [C1QL1], p = 1.1 × 10(-8); rs9515201 [COL4A2], p = 6.9 × 10(-9)). CONCLUSIONS: Genetic associations with WMHV are shared in otherwise healthy individuals and patients with stroke, indicating common genetic susceptibility in cerebral small vessel disease.

Characterization of the biological processes shaping the genetic structure of the Italian population.

BACKGROUND: The genetic structure of human populations is the outcome of the combined action of different processes such as demographic dynamics and natural selection. Several efforts toward the characterization of population genetic architectures and the identification of adaptation signatures were recently made. In this study, we provide a genome-wide depiction of the Italian population structure and the analysis of the major determinants of the current existing genetic variation. RESULTS: We defined and characterized 210 genomic loci associated with the first Principal Component calculated on the Italian genotypic data and correlated to the North-south genetic gradient. Using a gene-enrichment approach we identified the immune function as primarily involved in the Italian population differentiation and we described a locus on chromosome 13 showing combined evidence of North-south diversification in allele frequencies and signs of recent positive selection. In this region our bioinformatics analysis pinpointed an uncharacterized long intergenic non-coding (lincRNA), whose expression appeared specific for immune-related tissues suggesting its relevance for the immune function. CONCLUSIONS: Our study, combining population genetic analyses with biological insights provides a description of the Italian genetic structure that in future could contribute to the evaluation of complex diseases risk in the population context.

Shared genetic basis for migraine and ischemic stroke: A genome-wide analysis of common variants.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify genetic overlap between migraine and ischemic stroke (IS) with respect to common genetic variation. METHODS: We applied 4 different approaches to large-scale meta-analyses of genome-wide data on migraine (23,285 cases and 95,425 controls) and IS (12,389 cases and 62,004 controls). First, we queried known genome-wide significant loci for both disorders, looking for potential overlap of signals. We then analyzed the overall shared genetic load using polygenic scores and estimated the genetic correlation between disease subtypes using data derived from these models. We further interrogated genomic regions of shared risk using analysis of covariance patterns between the 2 phenotypes using cross-phenotype spatial mapping. RESULTS: We found substantial genetic overlap between migraine and IS using all 4 approaches. Migraine without aura (MO) showed much stronger overlap with IS and its subtypes than migraine with aura (MA). The strongest overlap existed between MO and large artery stroke (LAS; p = 6.4 × 10(-28) for the LAS polygenic score in MO) and between MO and cardioembolic stroke (CE; p = 2.7 × 10(-20) for the CE score in MO). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate shared genetic susceptibility to migraine and IS, with a particularly strong overlap between MO and both LAS and CE pointing towards shared mechanisms. Our observations on MA are consistent with a limited role of common genetic variants in this subtype.

Common variation in COL4A1/COL4A2 is associated with sporadic cerebral small vessel disease.

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that common variants in the collagen genes COL4A1/COL4A2 are associated with sporadic forms of cerebral small vessel disease. METHODS: We conducted meta-analyses of existing genotype data among individuals of European ancestry to determine associations of 1,070 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the COL4A1/COL4A2 genomic region with the following: intracerebral hemorrhage and its subtypes (deep, lobar) (1,545 cases, 1,485 controls); ischemic stroke and its subtypes (cardioembolic, large vessel disease, lacunar) (12,389 cases, 62,004 controls); and white matter hyperintensities (2,733 individuals with ischemic stroke and 9,361 from population-based cohorts with brain MRI data). We calculated a statistical significance threshold that accounted for multiple testing and linkage disequilibrium between SNPs (p < 0.000084). RESULTS: Three intronic SNPs in COL4A2 were significantly associated with deep intracerebral hemorrhage (lead SNP odds ratio [OR] 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-1.46, p = 0.00003; r(2) > 0.9 between SNPs). Although SNPs associated with deep intracerebral hemorrhage did not reach our significance threshold for association with lacunar ischemic stroke (lead SNP OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.03-1.18, p = 0.0073), and with white matter hyperintensity volume in symptomatic ischemic stroke patients (lead SNP OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.13, p = 0.016), the direction of association was the same. There was no convincing evidence of association with white matter hyperintensities in population-based studies or with non-small vessel disease cerebrovascular phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate an association between common variation in the COL4A2 gene and symptomatic small vessel disease, particularly deep intracerebral hemorrhage. These findings merit replication studies, including in ethnic groups of non-European ancestry.

Genetic architecture of white matter hyperintensities differs in hypertensive and nonhypertensive ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Epidemiological studies suggest that white matter hyperintensities (WMH) are extremely heritable, but the underlying genetic variants are largely unknown. Pathophysiological heterogeneity is known to reduce the power of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Hypertensive and nonhypertensive individuals with WMH might have different underlying pathologies. We used GWAS data to calculate the variance in WMH volume (WMHV) explained by common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as a measure of heritability (SNP heritability [HSNP]) and tested the hypothesis that WMH heritability differs between hypertensive and nonhypertensive individuals. METHODS: WMHV was measured on MRI in the stroke-free cerebral hemisphere of 2336 ischemic stroke cases with GWAS data. After adjustment for age and intracranial volume, we determined which cardiovascular risk factors were independent predictors of WMHV. Using the genome-wide complex trait analysis tool to estimate HSNP for WMHV overall and within subgroups stratified by risk factors found to be significant in multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A significant proportion of the variance of WMHV was attributable to common SNPs after adjustment for significant risk factors (HSNP=0.23; P=0.0026). HSNP estimates were higher among hypertensive individuals (HSNP=0.45; P=7.99×10(-5)); this increase was greater than expected by chance (P=0.012). In contrast, estimates were lower, and nonsignificant, in nonhypertensive individuals (HSNP=0.13; P=0.13). CONCLUSIONS: A quarter of variance is attributable to common SNPs, but this estimate was greater in hypertensive individuals. These findings suggest that the genetic architecture of WMH in ischemic stroke differs between hypertensives and nonhypertensives. Future WMHV GWAS studies may gain power by accounting for this interaction.