Genetic Analysis of Ring Finger Protein 213 (RNF213) c.14576G>A in Intracranial Atherosclerosis of the Anterior and Posterior Circulations.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial atherosclerosis of the anterior circulation (anterior ICAS) and intracranial atherosclerosis of the posterior circulation (posterior ICAS) are thought to involve different pathogeneses and risk factors. Recently, we identified a genetic variant that has a significant association with ICAS. The variant was ring finger protein 213 (RNF213) c.14576G>A (rs112735431), which was originally identified as a susceptibility genetic variant for moyamoya disease (MMD). The present study investigated the association of RNF213 c.14576G>A with anterior and posterior ICAS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 221 study participants (43 with anterior ICAS, 61 with posterior ICAS, 12 with extracranial carotid atherosclerosis [ECAS], 5 with MMD, and 100 control subjects) were recruited from April 2015 to October 2015. A genetic analysis of RNF213 c.14576G>A and an association study with these cerebrovascular diseases were performed.

RESULTS: RNF213 c.14576G>A was present in 10 of 43 patients in the anterior ICAS group and 4 of 5 patients in the MMD group, but was not present in the patients in the posterior ICAS and ECAS groups. c.14576G>A was found in 2 of 100 patients in the control group. RNF213 c.14576G>A showed a significant association with anterior ICAS (allele count: P = 3.9 × 10-5, odds ratio [OR] = 13.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.8-60.8; prevalence of carriers of c.14576G>A: P = 2.6 × 10-5, OR = 14.8, 95% CI = 3.1-71.3). However, RNF213 c.14576G>A showed no association with posterior ICAS. RNF213 c.14576G>A also had a significant association with MMD and had no association with ECAS.

CONCLUSIONS: The genetic variant RNF213 c.14576G>A is significantly associated with anterior ICAS but not with posterior ICAS. The present findings may indicate factors involved in the pathogenesis of ICAS-related stroke.