The impact of the Val16Ala polymorphism of the Sod2 gene on the development and severity of stroke

This article presents the results of a study investigating the association between the Val16Ala (rs4880) polymorphism of the superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) gene and the risk and clinical severity of stroke. The study involved 88 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease (stroke) and 85 healthy individuals as the control group. Genotyping was conducted using polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. It was found that the frequency of the homozygous "unfavorable" Val/Val genotype was significantly higher in the stroke group (47.1%) compared to the control group (18.8%), indicating a 3.8-fold increased risk of stroke (OR=3.8; 95% CI 1.81–8.14). In contrast, the "protective" Ala/Ala genotype was more common in the control group (37.6% vs. 15.7% in patients). The strongest association was observed among patients with acute cerebrovascular events. These findings support the consideration of the Val16Ala polymorphism as an important genetic biomarker in assessing individual susceptibility to stroke and in the development of personalized prevention and treatment strategies for cerebrovascular diseases.