Abstract
Objective
Many studies have shown that the C1562T polymorphism in the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 gene promoter is associated with susceptibility to ischemic stroke (IS), but the association between them remains controversial. Our objective was to explore the relationship between
Methods
We conducted a database search of Wanfang, China Science and Technology Journal database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Medline, Embase, PubMed and Springerlink through September 2019. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata15.0 software (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA).
Results
Thirteen articles were included, including 3,996 patients and 3,815 controls. Among the Chinese population, the results showed no significant difference for the allele model (T vs. C; odds ratio = 1.05, 95%CI: 0.80–1.37). Significant differences were found in the dominant model (TT+TC vs. CC; odds ratio = 2.94, 95%CI: 1.58–5.45) and in the recessive model (TT vs. TC+CC; pooled OR = 0.81, 95%CI: 0.66–0.99). Neither the homozygous model or heterozygous model was significant.
Conclusion
We identified a correlation between MMP-9 C1562T polymorphism and IS in the Chinese population; the TT+TC genotype may increase the risk of IS.
Introduction
Ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the most common cerebrovascular diseases. It is caused mainly by occlusion of the blood supply, resulting in ischemia and hypoxia of cerebral cells, which leads to neurological impairment and high disability and mortality. 1 In 2016, the number of people with cardiovascular diseases in China exceeded 93 million, 24,098,000 of whom had IS. Compared with 1990, this represents an increase of almost 174%. In the same period, the number of deaths increased by nearly 333,000, an increase close to 84%, and the disease burden was 16.216 million person-years. 2 IS is a polygenic disease caused by a variety of environmental and genetic factors, and these genetic factors play an important role in the pathophysiology of IS. Inflammation is a key pathogenic mechanism of atherosclerosis, which ultimately leads to stroke by promoting the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, the development of unstable plaques, and plaque rupture. 3
Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), also known as gelatinase B, is a type of matrix metalloproteinase secreted by monocytes, neutrophils, and vascular endothelial cells. 4 Mainly through the degradation of type IV and V collagen, it causes the destruction of extracellular matrix and basement membrane and then causes vascular injury. The collagen fiber in the fiber cap of an atherosclerotic plaque can be degraded by MMP-9 to become thinner, resulting in unstable plaques. A C1562T polymorphism (−1562C>T) is present in the gene encoding MMP-9 and MMP-9 is involved in the pathological process of atherosclerosis, including extracellular matrix degradation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and plaque rupture. 5 MMP-9 is a zinc ion-dependent endopeptidase involved in many biological reactions, such as human growth and development, and is related to the advanced cortical function of some nervous systems. Two days after a stroke, MMP-9 content was shown to be significantly higher in ischemic lesions than in non-ischemic lesions. 6 Therefore, MMP-9 plays an important role in the process of IS and reperfusion injury after stroke. Some studies have shown that a high level of MMP-9 is found not only in ischemic tissues, but also in the ischemic penumbra, and thus is related to the progression of IS. 7
Many studies have shown that MMP-9 participates in the formation, migration, rupture, and disintegration of atherosclerotic plaques, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, hemorrhage transformation after cerebral infarction, and neuronal apoptosis,8–12 which is closely related to the occurrence and development of stroke. The C → T functional polymorphism exists at residue 1562 of the
Methods
Ethical approval
Ethical approval for this study was deemed unnecessary because we analyzed only previously published articles.
Literature retrieval
The target of our literature search was case–control studies on the association between C1562T gene polymorphism in the
Literature inclusion and exclusion criteria
The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) the study investigated the correlation between C1562T gene polymorphism of
The exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) duplicate publications and those from which we could not extract statistical content; (2) studies that did not conform to HWE in the control group; and (3) articles with a Newcastle–Ottawa scale (NOS) 15 quality score <6.
Evaluation of the quality of the literature and data extraction
In accordance with the NOS,
15
the full text of the articles was carefully read and evaluated in terms of quality, with low quality articles scoring <6 stars and high quality articles scoring >6 stars; only articles scoring ≥6 stars were included. In line with a uniform quality criterion, the evaluation was made independently by two evaluators who extracted the document materials and then cross checked the results. When the assessment diverged between evaluators, discrepancies were resolved by discussion or by a third party. The extracted data included the number of
Statistical methods
Meta-analysis was carried out using Stata 15.0 statistical software (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA). Odds ratios (OR) and 95%CI, as the effect size, were calculated to present the results of the meta-analysis. The Q-test was used to test the heterogeneity of the results; If
Results
Basic information of the retrieved articles
According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 articles16–28 were included in this meta-analysis. There were 3,996 patients in the IS (case) group and 3,815 patients in the control group. The specific literature screening process is shown in Figure 1. The characteristics and genotype distribution frequency of the study, together with the results of HWE test in the control group, are shown in Table 1. The results of the quality evaluation of the literature is shown in Table 2.

A PRISMA flow diagram of the study selection process. H-W = Hardy–Weinberg.
Characteristics of included studies for C1562T polymorphism in
Results of quality evaluation of literature.
Quality criteria: 1 = case identification appropriate; 2 = case representativeness; 3 = source of the control clear; 4 = control group chosen properly; 5 = controls the most important confounding factors; 6 = control other confounding factors; 7 = same exposure determination method; *, yes; ?, unclear; NOS, Newcastle–Ottawa Scale.
Meta-analysis results
Comparison of alleles
The major results of the meta-analysis are shown in Table 3 and Figure 2. With
Results of meta-analysis for

Forest plot for the five genetic models: (a) allelic model, (b) dominant model, (c) recessive model, (d) homozygous model, and (e) heterozygous model. The size of each box for an individual study represents the OR of the study and its 95%CI; the red dotted line represents the pooled OR position; and the diamond represents the 95% confidence interval for merging OR. OR, odds ratio; 95%CI, 95% confidence interval.

Funnel plot for the five genetic models: (a) allelic model, (b) dominant model, (c) recessive model, (d) homozygous model, and (e) heterozygous model. SE, standard error; OR, odds ratio; 95%CI, 95% confidence interval.
Dominant genetic model
In the dominant genetic model (TT+TC vs. CC), genotypes TT+TC were used as the exposure factor and genotype CC as the non-exposure factor. The heterogeneity test showed that the difference was significant (
Recessive genetic model
In the recessive genetic model (TT vs. TC+CC), genotype TT was used as the exposure factor and genotype TC+CC as the non-exposure factor. The heterogeneity test showed
Homozygous genetic model
In the homozygous genetic model (TT vs. CC), genotype TT was used as the exposure factor and genotype CC as the non-exposure factor. The heterogeneity test showed an
Heterozygous genetic model
In the heterozygous genetic model (TC vs. CC), genotype TC was used as the exposure factor and genotype CC as the non-exposure factor. The heterogeneity test showed an
Sensitivity analysis
Each study was excluded one by one and analyzed by meta-analysis (Figure 4). The results showed that in the recessive gene genetic model, after removal of two articles that reported a large number of cases, the results changed significantly and the conclusion was different (Figure 4c). Therefore, the recessive gene model could not be concluded. The results for the allele model and the other three models showed no significant changes in the combined effect, indicating that the 16 articles included were stable.

Sensitivity analysis plot for the five genetic models: (a) allelic model, (b) dominant model, (c) recessive model, (d) homozygous model, and (e) heterozygous model. 95%CI, 95% confidence interval.
Discussion
With characteristics of high morbidity, disability, and mortality, stroke is a main cause of death in the Chinese population; IS endangers the health and quality of life of patients, and brings a heavy burden to patients, their families, and society. Although the diagnosis and treatment of IS are diverse, the disability and mortality rate have not decreased effectively. The
In accordance with the strict inclusion criteria, this meta-analysis included 13 articles,16–28 consisting of 3,996 patients and 3,815 controls, all in the Chinese population. We found a correlation between
This study had some limitations. First, only published studies were included in this meta-analysis; therefore, there may be publication bias. Second, we found moderate heterogeneity among the studies in most genetic models. Third, the effects of gene linkage and gene–environment interaction on IS were not analyzed.
Overall, the
