elastin and Cerebral-Infarction

To investigate whether elastin-derived peptides (EDP) are detectable in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of healthy controls and of patients with acute brain ischemia and if so to assess possible trends in EDP levels in different groups of ischemic stroke patients (small-vessel disease vs. other ischemic strokes; first-ever vs. recurrent stroke).. Levels of EDP were determined by ELISA in blood sera and CSF of 80 patients with acute ischemic stroke (mean age 61.5+/-10.8; age range 47-70; 22 women) and in 15 healthy age- and sex-matched controls (mean age 57.3+/-13.4; age range 50-65). The patients were divided into a group with first ever lacunar stroke (27); first ever non-lacunar ischemic stroke (27) and recurrent stroke (26). EDP were measured early (mean 7 days, range 1-15) after stroke onset.. Serum EDP levels were mildly higher in recurrent strokes as compared to first ever lacunar lesion and controls. However, in the CSF the concentrations of EDP in stroke patients were strongly elevated (from 2 up to 30 times depending on subgroup) as compared with healthy subjects. The highest level of EDP in CSF and in the serum was found in recurrent strokes. Subgroup analysis revealed a trend for significantly higher EDP concentrations in CSF in lacunar and recurrent stroke as compared with non-lacunar.. This study is the first application of elastin peptide measurement to human CSF and stroke patients. The increased levels of EDP were detected in CSF of patients with lacunar and recurrent strokes.

Topics: Aged; Antigens; Blotting, Western; Brain; Brain Ischemia; Cerebral Infarction; Cholesterol; Elastin; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neurologic Examination; Peptides; Recurrence; Spinal Puncture; Stroke; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Triglycerides

We have previously reported the optimized methods for the detection of elastin derived peptides (EDP) in the serum, synovial fluid, and bronchoalveolar lavage. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether EDP are detectable in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with acute brain ischaemia.. Twenty-seven first ever ischaemic stroke patients (mean age 61.5+/-10.8 years; age range 47-70 years; 12 women) were studied in acute phase (1-15 days after the onset) with clinical evaluations, radiological assessments, and the analysis of serum and CSF based on Western blot and ELISA for the detection and quantification of EDP.. None of the serum EDP concentrations are significantly higher in stroke patients compared with 25 healthy control individuals. However, EDP levels in CSF are strongly (p<0.0001) elevated compared with healthy subjects. They correlated with total cholesterol (r=0.53; p=0.02), triglycerides (r=0.67; p=0.004) and retinopathy (r=0.24; p=0.03), and with the interval between the stroke onset and the time of lumbar puncture (r=0.35; p=0.02).. EDPs are detectable in CSF of healthy subjects and patients with ischaemic stroke. Acute brain infarction is followed by increased levels of EDP in CSF.

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Blotting, Western; Brain Ischemia; Cerebral Infarction; Cholesterol; Elastin; Electroencephalography; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropeptides; Stroke; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Triglycerides; Ultrasonography

Topics: Angiography; Biopsy; Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection; Causality; Cerebral Infarction; Connective Tissue; Connective Tissue Diseases; Elastin; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Recurrence; Skin Diseases; Vertebral Artery Dissection

This study was performed on a family of CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leucoencephalopathy) subjects. Neuropathological alterations of small arteries consisting in thickening, reduplication and fragmentation of the internal elastic lamella, and granular periodic acid-Schiff-positive material deposited in the arterial media were demonstrated in 1 autopsy case by histochemistry and electron microscopy. This material reacted with a monoclonal antibody anti-elastin (aE), as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy. Significant increases of aE-immunoreactivity and elastin mRNA expression were found in cultured skin fibroblasts from 5 family members genetically affected by CADASIL, but not genetically and clinically healthy members. These results suggest that alterations of the elastic apparatus are associated with CADASIL genotype and related to the clinical expression of the disease.

Topics: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Biopsy, Needle; Brain; Cells, Cultured; Cerebral Arterial Diseases; Cerebral Arteries; Cerebral Infarction; Collagen; Elastin; Female; Fibroblasts; Fibronectins; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Ischemic Attack, Transient; Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Middle Aged; Reference Values; RNA, Messenger; Skin; Syndrome

Topics: Adult; Aged; Autoantibodies; Carotid Artery Diseases; Cerebral Infarction; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Complement System Proteins; Elastin; Giant Cell Arteritis; Humans; Immune Complex Diseases; Immunoglobulins; Male; Middle Aged; Temporal Arteries