Correlation between ischemia-modified albumin and lipid levels in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease

Acute cerebrovascular disease (ACVD) is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, however, molecular markers to aid in its early detection are lacking. In this study, we examined the correlation between serum ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), a marker used to identify ischemic events in the heart, and blood lipids in patients with ACVD. Serum I MA levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and triglyceride (TG) levels were determined biochemically in 62 patients with cerebral infarction (CI), 40 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), 18 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and 100 healthy individuals (controls). Serum IMA levels were significantly higher in each of the ACVD groups compared to the control group (CI, 80.81 +/- 11.97 U/ml; ICH, 80.25 +/- 10.91 U/ml; SAH, 74.43 +/- 11.39 U/ml and control, 41.08 +/- 5.10 U/ml; P<0.05). Additionally, serum TC, LDL and TG levels significantly increased, while serum HDL significantly decreased in the ACVD groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). A positive correlation was found between serum IMA levels and serum TC, LDL and TG levels in the ACVD patients, while serum IMA levels were negatively correlated with serum HDL levels (P<0.05). Thus, serum IMA increased following an ACVD event and was closely correlated with changes in the blood lipid levels. These factors, when combined, may allow the development of molecular markers for an earlier diagnosis of ACVD.