Objective: To explore the association between alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) gene A/T polymorphism and cerebral hemorrhage among Chinese people.
Methods: The DNA of peripheral leucocytes was extracted from 220 patients with cerebral hemorrhage and 276 controls. PCR- RELP was used to determine the ACT gene polymorphism. Multiple Logistic regression was performed to explore the risk factors for cerebral hemorrhage.
Results: After adjusting age, gender, alcohol drinking, smoking, education,history of diabetes mellitus and primary hypertension, the analysis showed: (1) the ACT AT and TT genotypes increased the risk of cerebral hemorrhage (OR = 2.33 and 2.17 respectively, P < 0.05), but were not associated with primary hypertension. Such association was more prevalent in hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage. (2) Primary hypertension significantly increased the risk of cerebral hemorrhage (OR = 8.17 P = 0.000). (3) A significant gene environment interaction, super multiplicative type 4 interaction, was shown between both ACT AT and TT genotypes and primary hypertension with an interaction index (r) value of 2.84 and an OR value of 15.92. A significant additive type 3 gene-environment interaction was shown between both ACT AT and TT genotypes and diabetes mellitus with an OR value of 2.89.
Conclusion: ACT gene polymorphism and primary hypertension are both independent risk factors of cerebral hemorrhage. The ACT AT and TT genotypes show a significant gene-environment interaction, however, of different types, with both primary hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the occurrence of cerebral hemorrhage.