Brain and nerve = Shinkei kenkyū no shinpo
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Recent research suggests that many genetic variants and environmental exposures can influence the occurrence and progression of common diseases, including stroke. However, the genetic risk factors for ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke in developed countries, are almost unknown. We conducted a genome-wide association study using 1112 Japanese subjects who has suffered from ischemic stroke. ⋯ An SNP in the promoter region (rs9943582) enhanced the expression level of AGTRL1 mRNA. A population-based cohort study with 14 years of follow-up revealed that functional SNPs of these genes were found to significantly increase the incidence of ischemic stroke. Therefore we suggest that genome-wide association study is a powerful tool for identifying new susceptibility genes and can provide new insights into the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of ischemic stroke.