PDE4D and stroke in the young. Genetic association of the SNP83T allele with ischaemic stroke in young stroke patients from Brescia (Italy) and Heidelberg (Germany)

Aims: Phosphodiesterases (PDE) are a large family of enzymes involved in the control of cAMP signaling. Several SNPs in the PDE4D gene were found to be significantly associated with ischemic stroke in the Icelandic population and a possible role of PDE4D in the development of atherosclerosis was discussed. In most, but not all, subsequent studies the association between PDE4D and stroke was confirmed, but results differed for stroke subtypes and for different SNPs within the 5'end of the PDE4D gene. Methods: SNP83 of the PDE4D gene (rs966221) was analyzed in 202 young stroke patients (