Interleukin-18 gene promoter polymorphisms are potential risk factors for ischemic cerebrovascular disease, and the-607C al ele may increase ischemic stroke risk in the Han Chinese population. In the present study, we recruited 291 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease from the Affi-liated Hospital of Qingdao University Medical Col ege, China, and 226 healthy controls. Both pa-tients and controls were from the Han population in northern China. Immunoresonance scattering assays detected increased serum amyloid A protein, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-18 levels in ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients compared with healthy controls. Analysis of the-607C/A (rs1946518) polymorphism in the interleukin-18 gene promoter showed ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients exhibited increased frequencies of the CC genotype and C al eles than healthy controls. Genotype and al ele frequencies of the interleukin-18-137G/C (rs187238) polymorphism and the-13T/C (rs11024595) polymorphism in the 5'-flanking region of serum amyloid A, showed no significant difference between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis on the interleukin-18 promoter A/C genetic locus, for correction of age, gender, history of smoking, hyper-tension, diabetes mel itus, hypercholesteremia, and an ischemic stroke family history, showed ischemic cerebrovascular disease risk in individuals without the A al ele (C homozygotes) was 2.2-fold greater than in A al ele carriers. Overal , our findings suggest that the-13T/C (rs11024595) polymorphism in the 5′-flanking region of serum amyloid A has no correlation with ischemic cere-brovascular disease, but the C al ele of the-607C/A (rs1946518) polymorphism in the interleukin-18 promoter is a high-risk factor for ischemic cerebrovascular disease in the Han population of northern China. In addition, the A al ele is likely a protective gene for ischemic cerebrovascular disease.