Associations between thromboxane A synthase 1 gene polymorphisms and the risk of ischemic stroke in a Chinese Han population

Thromboxane A synthase 1 (TBXAS1) catalyses the synthesis of thromboxane A2 (TXA2), which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Thus, the TBXAS1 gene was investigated as a candidate gene involved in the formation of atherosclerosis. This case-control study collected peripheral blood specimens and clinical data of 370 ischemic stroke patients and 340 healthy controls in the Northern Chinese Han population from October 2010 to May 2011. Two TBXAS1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, rs2267682 and rs10487667, were analyzed using a SNaPshot Multiplex sequencing assay to explore the relationships between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms in TBXAS1 and ischemic stroke. The TT genotype frequency and T allele frequency of rs2267682 in the patients with ischemic stroke were significantly higher than those in the controls (P < 0.01 and P = 0.02). Furthermore, compared with the GG + GT genotype, the TT rs2267682 genotype was associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke (odds ratio (OR) = 1.80, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16–2.79, P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic analysis with adjustments for confounding factors revealed that rs2267682 was still associated with ischemic stroke (OR = 1.94, 95% CI : 1.13–3.33, P = 0.02). The frequency of the T-G haplotype in the patients was significantly higher than that in the controls according haplotype analysis (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.10–2.00, P < 0.01). These data reveal that the rs2267682 TBXAS1 polymorphism is associated with ischemic stroke. The TT genotype of TBXAS1 and T allele of rs2267682 increase susceptibility to ischemic stroke in this Northern Chinese Han population. The protocol has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR-COC-17013559).