Abstract
PURPOSE: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common psychiatric complication after stroke, and its persistent form carries greater symptom burden and poorer long-term outcomes. The mechanisms of persistent PSD remain unclear. We investigated genetic variants associated with persistent PSD and evaluated prespecified gene-environment (G×E) interactions with modifiable stroke risk factors (lifestyle, diet, and common biomarkers) to test whether genotype modifies susceptibility across different environmental exposures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with first-onset acute ischemic stroke who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from three hospitals in Central China between May 2018 and October 2023. A nested case-control study from May 2018 to December 2020 was conducted for initial screening of PSD-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) via whole-exome sequencing (WES). Validation of risk SNPs was performed in a subsequent cohort enrolled between December 2020 and October 2023. Further, risk SNPs for persistent PSD were identified, and a G×E interaction model was applied to explore how environmental exposures modulate genetic risk in persistent PSD pathogenesis. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results. RESULTS: Through WES association analysis and validation, nine SNPs potentially related to PSD onset were identified: rs1055851, rs12647814, rs11108643, rs2481880, rs9965081, rs846791, rs4434123, rs1390318, and rs824695. Among these, rs9965081 showed a significant correlation with persistent PSD. This variant interacts with serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in the development of persistent PSD and was validated by subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: rs9965081 may be a persistent PSD-associated SNP that interacts with serum LDL-C levels. Carriers of the rs9965081 risk allele are more sensitive to LDL-C fluctuations and therefore have greater susceptibility to persistent PSD.