The promoter polymorphism of NFKB1 gene contributes to susceptibility of ischemic stroke in Korean population

The progression of ischemic stroke is associated with inflammatory response, in which the nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 (NFKB1) plays an important role. The aim of present study was to determine whether promoter single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the NFKB1 gene was contributed to susceptibility of ischemic stroke. One hundred twenty-one Korean adult patients with ischemic stroke (65.7±12.1 years in age) and 291 Korean healthy controls (63.0±9.3 years in age) were recruited. We genotyped a promoter SNP (rs11940017, −1727, C/T) of NFKB1 gene using direct sequencing in 121 Korean ischemic stroke patients and 291 control subjects. The T/C genotype of rs11940017 SNP in the codominant model (vs. the T/T genotype) (odds ratio [OR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15–0.92; P=0.032) and the genotype containing C allele (T/C and C/C) in the dominant model (vs. the T/T genotype) (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.14–0.81; P=0.0068) were associated with a decreased risk of ischemic stroke. The frequency of C allele was decreased in ischemic stroke patients, compared with control subjects (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.13–0.74; P=0.008). These results suggest that the promoter SNP (rs11940017, −1727, C/T) of NFKB1 gene may affect ischemic stroke susceptibility in Korean population.