Association between cerebral microbleeds and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with ischemic stroke

Abstract

Background Host inflammation has been studied in patients with ischemic stroke (IS) due to large vessel occlusions. Inflammatory markers were shown to correlate with large artery atherosclerosis and worse outcomes after ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusions. However, the association between inflammation and cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is controversial. Mostly studied are the white matter hyperintensities; however, results regarding association of white matter hyperintensities with inflammatory markers are conflicting. We aimed to investigate the association between cerebral microbleed (CMB) load, as an indicator of SVD, and inflammation indices in patients with IS. Results We identified 127 patients with IS admitted within 7 days of symptom onset. CMBs were detected in 37% (n: 47) of patients. Patient's age and Fazekas score were independently associated with CMB load. Inflammatory biomarkers were not associated with the presence or quantitative burden of CMBs. Conclusions White matter damage and patient's age predicted CMB presence and number, respectively, in IS patients. However, inflammatory markers failed to show any association with such SVD signs. Prospective studies with a higher number of stroke patients are needed in order to justify our findings.