Sex-Stratified Genome-Wide Association Study in the Spanish Population Identifies a Novel Locus for Lacunar Stroke
Stroke, 2024
Cárcel-Márquez J., Muiño E., Gallego-Fabrega C., Cullell N., Lledós M., Llucià-Carol L., Martín-Campos J., Sobrino T., Campos F., Castillo J., Freijo M., Arenillas J., Obach V., Álvarez-Sabín J., Molina C., Ribó M., Jiménez-Conde J., Roquer J., Muñoz-Narbona L., Lopez-Cancio E., Millán M., Diaz-Navarro R., Vives-Bauza C., Serrano-Heras G., Segura T., Ibañez L., Heitsch L., Delgado P., Dhar R., Krupinski J., Prats-Sánchez L., Camps-Renom P., Guasch M., Ezcurra G., Blay N., Sumoy L., de Cid R., Montaner J., Cruchaga C., Lee J., Martí-Fàbregas J., Férnandez-Cadenas I.
Disease area | Application area | Sample type | Products |
---|---|---|---|
Neurology | Pathophysiology | Plasma | O Olink Explore 3072/384 |
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Ischemic stroke (IS) represents a significant health burden globally, necessitating a better understanding of its genetic underpinnings to improve prevention and treatment strategies. Despite advances in IS genetics, studies focusing on the Spanish population and sex-stratified analyses are lacking.
METHODS:
A case-control genome-wide association study was conducted with 9081 individuals (3493 IS cases and 5588 healthy controls). IS subtypes using Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria were explored in a sex-stratified approach. Replication efforts involved the MEGASTROKE, GIGASTROKE, and the UK Biobank international cohorts. Post-genome-wide association study analysis included: in silico proteomic analysis, gene-based analysis, quantitative trait loci annotation, transcriptome-wide association analysis, and bioinformatic analysis using chromatin accessibility data.
RESULTS:
Identified as associated with IS and its subtypes were 4 significant and independent loci. Replication confirmed 5p15.2 as a new locus associated with small-vessel occlusion stroke, with rs59970332-T as the lead variant (beta [SE], 0.13 [0.02]; P =4.34×10 −8 ). Functional analyses revealed CTNND2 given proximity and its implication in pathways involved in vascular integrity and angiogenesis. Integration of Hi-C data identified additional potentially modulated genes, and in silico proteomic analysis suggested a distinctive blood proteome profile associated with the lead variant. Gene-set enrichment analyses highlighted pathways consistent with small-vessel disease pathogenesis. Gene-based associations with known stroke-related genes such as F2 and FGG were also observed, reinforcing the relevance of our findings.
CONCLUSIONS:
We found CTNND2 as a potential key molecule in small-vessel occlusion stroke risk, and predominantly in males. This study sheds light on the genetic architecture of IS in the Spanish population, providing novel insights into sex-specific associations and potential molecular mechanisms. Further research, including replication in larger cohorts, is essential for a comprehensive understanding of these findings and for their translation to clinical practice.