Current neurovascular research最新文献

Background: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to determine whether IL-6 is a crucial biomarker associated with Multiple Acute Infarctions (MAIs), which indicate an important stroke mechanism of artery-to-artery embolism with a high risk of stroke recurrence in symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (sICAD). We tested the association between circulating IL-6 levels and the presence of MAIs in a prospective population-based registry.

Methods: We included 1,919 patients with sICAD and baseline IL-6 levels from the Third China National Stroke Registry for the current analysis, The baseline IL-6 was centrally measured at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Images of the brain parenchyma and vascular structures were digitized and then blindly and independently read by two groups of trained readers, The recruited patients were divided into 3 groups according to IL-6 tertiles, The relationship between baseline IL-6 tertile levels and the presence of MAIs was modeled using multivariate logistic regression.

Results: Compared to patients in the first IL-6 tertile those in the second and third tertiles demonstrated a significantly higher proportion of MAIs. The odds ratios were 1.81 [95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.42-2.30] for the second versus first tertile and 2.15 (95% CI 1.66-2.79) for the third versus first tertile, The proportion of patients with MAIs increased with rising IL-6 tertiles observed at 59.3%, 71.6% and 76.4% for the first, second and third tertiles, respectively (P for trend < 0.001). The association between higher IL-6 tertiles and increased proportion of MAIs was also present in subgroups defined by age < 65 years, age ≥ 65 years, male, and high-sensitivity C-reactive Protein (hs-CRP) ≥ 2 mg/L. Furthermore, a significant interaction was detected for the hs- CRP subgroup (P = 0.038). In sensitivity analyses, the positive correlation between IL-6 levels and the proportion of MAIs remained consistent.

Conclusion: In patients with sICAD, higher IL-6 levels were associated with an increased proportion of MAIs. IL-6 could be used as a biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for future atherosclerosis treatment and prevention in patients with sICAD.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common forms of sleep-disordered breathing. Studies have shown that certain changes in metabolism play an important role in the pathophysiology of OSA. However, the causal relationship between these metabolites and OSA remains unclear.

Aims: We use a mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal associations between the genetic liability to metabolites and OSA.

Methods: We performed a 2-sample inverse-variance weighted mendelian randomization analysis to evaluate the causal effects of genetically determined 486 metabolites on OSA. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed to assess pleiotropy. We used multivariate mendelian randomization analyses to assess confounding factors and mendelian randomization Bayesian model averaging to rank the significant biomarkers by their genetic evidence. We also conducted a metabolic pathway analysis to identify potential metabolic pathways.

Results: We identified 14 known serum metabolites (8 risk factors and 6 protective factors) and 12 unknown serum metabolites associated with OSA. These 14 known metabolites included 8 lipids( 1-arachidonoylglycerophosphoethanolamine, Tetradecanedioate, Epiandrosteronesulfate, Acetylca Glycerol3-phosphate, 3-dehydrocarnitine, Margarate17:0, Docosapentaenoaten3;22:5n3), 3 Aminoacids (Isovalerylcarnitine,3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate,Methionine), 2 Cofactors and vitamins [Bilirubin(E,ZorZ,E),X-11593--O-methylascorbate], 1Carbohydrate(1,6-anhydroglucose). We also identified several metabolic pathways that involved in the pathogenesis of OSA.

Conclusion: MR (mendelian randomization) approach was performed to identify 6 protective factors and 12 risk factors for OSA in the present study. 3-Dehydrocarnitine was the most significant risk factors for OSA. Our study also confirmed several significant metabolic pathways that were involved in the pathogenesis of OSA. Valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis metabolic pathways were the most significant metabolic pathways that were involved in the pathogenesis of OSA.

Objective: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is commonly detected after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) and is associated with poor functional outcomes. However, the etiology and significance of DWI lesions remain unclear. Thus, our study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk factors of acute ischemic lesions in sICH and discussed the possible mechanisms.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of a consecutive cohort of 408 patients from June 2013 to October 2019 with sICH, who had brain computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 14 days of symptoms onset. Acute ischemic lesions were assessed on MRI using DWI lesions. We compared the clinical and imaging characteristics of patients with and without DWI lesions. The data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results: Among the enrolled 408 patients, the mean age was 56.8 ± 14.5 years, 68 (16.7%) of them had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM). DWI lesions were observed in 89 (21.8%) patients, and most of them had a history of lacunar infarctions, which were located in cortical or subcortical. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, DM (odds ratio (OR) 3.962, p <0.001), severe deep white matter hypertensities (DWMH) (OR 2.463, p =0.001) and severe centrum semiovale enlarged perivascular spaces (CSO-EPVS) (OR 2.679, p =0.001) were independently associated with the presence of DWI lesions.

Conclusion: In our cohort, we found DM, severe DWMH and severe CSO-EPVS were the independent risk factors in sICH patients with DWI lesions.

Background: Research has linked enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) to cerebral venous reflux (CVR) in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, but it is unclear whether this association exists in recent small subcortical infarct (RSSI) patients.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between EPVS and CVR in patients with RSSI.

Method: This study included 297 patients, selected from patients with RSSI in the lenticulostriate artery admitted to the Department of Neurology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. CVR was assessed by time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA). The relationship between EPVS and CVR was studied using multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results: This study included patients with an average age of 59.84±12.27 years, including 201 males (67.7%). CVR was observed in 40 (13.5%) patients. Compared to the group without CVR, the proportions of male patients and patients with a history of smoking and drinking were higher in the CVR group. The proportions of high-grade EPVS in the centrum semiovale region [23 cases (57.5%) vs. 108 cases (42.0%), p =0.067] and the basal ganglia region [30 cases (75.0%) vs. 133 cases (51.8%), p =0.006] were higher in the CVR group. After multiple logistic regression analysis, high-grade EPVS in the basal ganglia region was still associated with CVR (OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.22-5.87;p=0.014).

Conclusion: In the population with RSSI, EPVS in basal ganglia is significantly associated with CVR, suggesting a close relationship between venous dysfunction and the formation of EPVS.

Background: Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM) is one of the most common types of vascular malformation of the central nervous system. Intracerebral hemorrhage, seizures, and lesional growth are the main clinical manifestations. Natural history studies have tried to identify many risk factors; however, the clinical course remains highly unpredictable.

Objective: Here, we have analyzed a multicenter CCM cohort looking for the differential clinical data regarding the patients harboring supra and/or infratentorial cavernous malformations in order to better understand risk factors involved in the anatomical location of the unique neurosurgical disease.

Methods: We have presented a multicenter, Propensity Score Matched (PSM), case-control study including 149 consecutive CCM cases clinically evaluated from May 2017 to December 2022 from three different neurosurgical centers. Epidemiological data were defined at each clinical assessment. Logistic regression was used to identify the independent contribution of each possible risk factor to the bleeding risk. To balance baseline covariates between patients with and without symptoms, and specifically between those with and without symptomatic bleeding, we used a PSM strategy. The Kaplan-Meier curve was drawn to evaluate if patients with infratentorial lesions had a greater chance of bleeding earlier in their life.

Results: The presence of infratentorial lesions was a risk factor in the multivariate analysis comparing the bleeding risk with pure asymptomatic individuals (OR: 3.23, 95% CI 1.43 - 7.26, P = 0.005). Also, having an infratentorial CCM was a risk factor after PSM (OR: 4.56, 95% CI 1.47 - 14.10, P = 0.008). The presence of an infratentorial lesion was related to precocity of symptoms when the time to first bleed was compared to all other clinical presentations in the overall cohort (P = 0.0328) and in the PSM group (P = 0.03).

Conclusion: Here, we have provided some evidence that infratentorial cerebral cavernous malformation may have a more aggressive clinical course, being a risk factor for symptomatic haemorrhage and precocity of bleeding.

Background: Early neurological deterioration (END) after bridging therapy (BT) of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients is associated with poor outcomes.

Objective: We aimed to study the incidence, risk factors and prognosis of END after BT.

Methods: From January to December 2021, the clinical data of AIS patients treated by BT (intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase prior to mechanical thrombectomy) from three comprehensive stroke centers were analyzed. Patients were divided into non-END group and END group according to whether they developed END within 72 hours of symptom onset. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to assess the patient's prognosis at 90 days, and favorable outcomes were defined as mRS≤2. The incidence of END was investigated, and binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore its associated factors.

Results: The incidence of END after BT was 33.67%. The eligible 90 patients included 29 cases in the END group and 61 cases in the non-END group. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that increase of systolic blood pressure (SBP) (OR=1.026, 95%CI:1.001-1.051, p =0.043), higher level of blood glucose at admission (OR=1.389, 95%CI:1.092-1.176, p =0.007) and large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) subtype (OR=8.009, 95%CI:2.357-27.223, p =0.001) were independent risk factors of END. Compared with the non-END group, the END group had significantly lower rates of good outcomes (6.90% versus 65.57%, p =0.001) while higher rates of mortality (44.83% versus 4.92%, p =0.001).

Conclusion: It was found that the incidence of END after BT in AIS patients was 33.67%. An increase in SBP, higher glucose levels at admission, and LAA were independent risk factors of END that predicted a poor prognosis.

Objective: Emboli commonly occurs in mechanical thrombectomy (MT). The objective of this study was to analyze predicting factors of emboli after MT.

Methods: Patients who underwent MT with successful reperfusion for anterior circulation occlusion were enrolled. Emboli included distal emboli at digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and unexpected embolic infarct on diffusion-weighted image (DWI) without distal emboli at DSA. Baseline characteristics, procedural details, angiographic outcomes, and clinical outcomes were reviewed. Multivariable analyses were performed to evaluate predictive factors for the occurrence of emboli.

Results: Of 601 patients, 149 (24.8%) patients had distal emboli at DSA, and 169 (28.1%) patients had unexpected embolic infarction on DWI even without distal emboli at DSA. A total of 318 (52.9%) patients were enrolled in the embolic group, and 283 (47.1%) patients were assigned to the non-embolic group. In multivariate analysis, larger microcatheter (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.12-1.94; p = 0.047), clot passage (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.07-1.87; p = 0.041), use of balloon guide catheter (BGC) (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.52-0.92; p = 0.014), early ballooning of BGC (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50-0.90; p = 0.009), and longer stent retriever (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.54-0.90; p = 0.029) were associated with occurrence of emboli.

Conclusion: MT with only a stent retriever, use of a larger microcatheter, and clot passage might increase the risk of emboli. In contrast, contact aspiration thrombectomy, use of BGC, early ballooning of BGC, and use of longer stent retrievers could reduce the chance of emboli.

Electroacupuncture (EA) treatment plays a protective role in cerebral ischemiareperfusion (CIR) injury. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still not fully elucidated.

Methods: All rats were randomly divided into five groups: the SHAM group, MCAO group, MCAO+EA (MEA) group, MCAO+METTL3 overexpression+EA (METTL3) group and MCAO+lncRNA H19 overexpression+EA (lncRNA H19) group. The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats were established to mimic CIR injury. The overexpression of lncRNA H19 and METTL3 was induced by stereotactic injection of lentiviruses into the rat lateral ventricles. The rats in the MEA, METTL3, and lncRNA H19 groups were treated with EA therapy on "Renzhong" (DU26) and "Baihui" (DU20) acupoints (3.85/6.25Hz; 1mA). Besides, the neurological deficit scoring, cerebral infarction area, pathological changes in brain tissue, total RNA m6A level, and the expression of METTL3, S1PR2, TLR4, NLRP3 and lncRNA H19 were detected in this experiment.

Results: EA improved the neurological deficit scoring, cerebral infarction area, and pathological injury in MCAO rats, while these beneficial effects of EA on CIR injury were attenuated by the overexpression of METTL3 or lncRNA H19. More importantly, EA down-regulated the total RNA m6A level and the expression of METTL3, S1PR2, TLR4, NLRP3 and lncRNA H19 in MCAO rats. Instead, the overexpression of METTL3 or lncRNA H19 was found to reverse the EA-induced down-regulation.

Conclusion: The findings indicated that EA might down-regulate the S1PR2/TLR4/NLRP3 signaling pathway via m6A methylation of lncRNA H19 to alleviate CIR injury. Our findings provide a new insight into the molecular mechanism of EA on CIR injury.