Previous studies identified that phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) gene polymorphism might be associated with cerebral infarction or ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke in human populations. However, as yet, no meta-analysis has revealed any detailed association. We retrospectively reviewed studies regarding the relationship of PDE4D gene polymorphism with ischemic stroke (IS) published during the period January 2003 to September 2012. According to the inclusion criteria, 9 of 105 initial studies were included in the subsequent analysis. The PubMed, Embase and CNKI of China were searched to identify the relevant studies. A total of 186 young patients with IS were included for the meta-analysis and 232 matched control subjects were enrolled and results were presented. The association of PDE4D gene polymorphism with IS in various populations was examined. The results suggested that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), SNP 83 in PDE4D gene was significantly related with susceptibility to IS. The meta-analysis also showed that PDE4D gene was associated with an enhanced risk of IS. The meta-analysis suggested that PDE4D SNP 87 constitutes an independent risk factor for IS development. To the best of our knowledge, the present meta-analysis reveals a number of possible associations between PDE4D gene polymorphism and IS.
Keywords: PDE-gene polymorphism; cerebral infarction; ischemic stroke; meta-analysis.