The impact of inflammation on the pathogenesis and prognosis of ischemic stroke

The inflammation plays a critical role in the stroke onset and even in the worsening of the lesions. Therefore, the investigation of inflammatory response in the acute stage may contribute to improve the treatment of ischemic stroke. High-sensitive CRP (hsCRP), IL-6 and TNF alpha were measured as inflammatory markers on admission and in the 28th day after the onset. Oxidized LDL was measured simultaneously, since it can be a marker of reactive oxygen species which reflect the activity of inflammation. Ischemic stroke patients within 24 h after the onset (n = 105) were included in this study. All patients were classified into cardioembolism, large-artery atherosclerosis, lacunar infarction, branch atheromatous disease and arterial dissection groups based on the findings of MRI and MRA and clinical records. Oxidized LDL was significantly increased in the acute phase of all cases. The amplified level of IL-6 was related to the worse outcome. The increase of TNF alpha in lacunar infarction was statistically correlated to the neurological severity on admission. In conclusion, IL-6 may predict not only the severity of the stroke lesions but also the outcome of patients. TNF alpha may suggest the small arterial lesions. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.