Helicobacter pylori infection and the CD14 C(-260)T gene polymorphism in ischemic stroke

Introduction: There is increasing evidence that infective pathogens such as Helicobacter pylori is linked to atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels. As an independent contributing factor, the CD14 receptor-lipopolysaccharide complex plays an important role in activating inflammatory reactions. In particular, the C(-260)T polymorphism in the CD14 receptor may be implicated in atherosclerotic disease. In this study, we investigated a possible association between H. pylori infection and the polymorphism of CD14, and ischemic stroke. Materials and methods: A total of 125 patients with ischemic stroke and 125 age- and sex-matched controls were included in the study. The stroke subtype of each of the patients was characterized based on the underlying etiology. H. pylori serologic status and the CD14 genotype were determined in both patients and controls. Results: H. pylori seropositivity was more common in the stroke patients than in the controls (80.0% vs. 60.0%, P = 0.001). Moreover, H. pylori seropositivity was more common in the stroke subtype of large artery disease (87.7%, P < 0.001). The distribution of CD14 genotypes was as follows: patients, T/T 21.6%, C/T 63.2%, C/C 15.2%; controls, T/T 19.2%, C/T 57.6%, C/C 23.2%. There was no significant difference between these two CD14 genotype distributions. Conclusions: These results suggest that H. pylori infection is a risk factor for ischemic stroke and that CD14 polymorphism is not.