Are stroke biomarkers seeing brain vessels in patients with ischemic stroke?: a C-reactive protein and homocysteine study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The significance of asymptomatic coronary artery atherosclerosis burden (CAB) in the interpretation of stroke biomarker results is unknown. We investigated biomarker values to determine if they are related to cerebral atherosclerosis with consideration of CAB.

METHODS

We prospectively recruited patients with noncardioembolic ischemic cerebrovascular disease who had no history of coronary artery disease. Patient-based vascular assessment was conducted using MRA for the cerebral arteries and cardiac CT angiography for the coronary arteries. Biomarkers including the C-reactive protein and homocysteine were measured.

RESULTS

A total of 178 patients were included in the study. The extracranial carotid stenosis was associated with the highest quartile of C-reactive protein (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.04-4.55), whereas age was the only predictor of the highest quartile of homocysteine (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11). However, with consideration of CAB, CAB (≥2 segments with ≥50% stenosis) remained the only independent predictor for the highest quartile of C-reactive protein (OR, 8.69; 95% CI, 2.41-31.30) and homocysteine (OR, 11.44; 95% CI, 2.61-50.11).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data emphasize the importance of CAB in biomarker studies of patients with ischemic stroke.