Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 is increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with ischemic stroke

Background and Purpose-Animal models of stroke have shown that focal cerebral ischemia results in an increased expression of several cytokines and chemokines that precedes leukocyte infiltration into ischemic lesions. The infiltrated leukocytes are thought to contribute to tissue injury in stroke. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) may play an important role in monocyte/macrophage infiltration in stroke patients. Methods-We studied MCP-I level in sera and the cerebrospinal fluid of 23 ischemic stroke patients 24 hours after the onset of neurological symptoms and compared the results with 15 control patients with tension headache. The MCP-1 level was determined by ELISA. Results-There was a significant increase of cerebrospinal fluid MCP-1 level in the studied stroke patients in comparison with the control group. The serum level of MCP-1 did not differ from that of control patients. Conclusions-Our results suggest that MCP-1 may play a role in the inflammatory reaction during the early phase of ischemic stroke.