Circulating insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 predicts one-year outcome after ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND

Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) and Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) have been ascribed neuroprotective effects. We sought to determine whether levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 predict functional outcome after ischemic stroke.

METHODS

IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were measured in the first week after stroke in patients with first ischemic stroke who were enrolled in the Berlin Cream&Sugar Study. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was collected at admission. Lesion volume was determined from acute MRI if available. Functional outcome according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was assessed after one year. In multivariate analyses we identified parameters associated with unfavourable functional outcome (mRS>2).

RESULTS

We included 100 patients. 21 patients had an unfavourable functional outcome. IGF-1 levels were<- 2 standard deviation score (SDS) in 7 patients, and>2 SDS in 12 patients. IGFBP-3 levels were<the 5(th) percentile in 13 patients, and no patient had IGFBP-3 levels>the 95(th) percentile. Low levels of IGFBP-3 (p=0.002), NIHSS at admission (p=0.043) and age (p=0.001) were associated with unfavourable functional outcome in the univariate analyses. In multivariate analysis including IGFBP-3, IGF-1, age, thrombolysis and NIHSS only low IGFBP-3 levels (OR 7.2, 95%CI 1.8-29.0, p=0.006) were associated with unfavourable functional outcome. If lesion volume was incuded (n=71), only IGFBP-3 levels (OR 7.2, 95%CI 1.5-35.5, p=0.015) were associated with unfavourable functional outcome.

CONCLUSION

IGFBP-3 levels after ischemic stroke may independently predict functional outcome after one year.

Acute Cerebrovascular Disease in the Young

Background and Purpose—

Strokes have especially devastating implications if they occur early in life; however, only limited information exists on the characteristics of acute cerebrovascular disease in young adults. Although risk factors and manifestation of atherosclerosis are commonly associated with stroke in the elderly, recent data suggests different causes for stroke in the young. We initiated the prospective, multinational European study Stroke in Young Fabry Patients (sifap) to characterize a cohort of young stroke patients.

Methods—

Overall, 5023 patients aged 18 to 55 years with the diagnosis of ischemic stroke (3396), hemorrhagic stroke (271), transient ischemic attack (1071) were enrolled in 15 European countries and 47 centers between April 2007 and January 2010 undergoing a detailed, standardized, clinical, laboratory, and radiological protocol.

Results—

Median age in the overall cohort was 46 years. Definite Fabry disease was diagnosed in 0.5% (95% confidence interval, 0.4%–0.8%; n=27) of all patients; and probable Fabry disease in additional 18 patients. Males dominated the study population (2962/59%) whereas females outnumbered men (65.3%) among the youngest patients (18–24 years). About 80.5% of the patients had a first stroke. Silent infarcts on magnetic resonance imaging were seen in 20% of patients with a first-ever stroke, and in 11.4% of patients with transient ischemic attack and no history of a previous cerebrovascular event. The most common causes of ischemic stroke were large artery atherosclerosis (18.6%) and dissection (9.9%).

Conclusions—

Definite Fabry disease occurs in 0.5% and probable Fabry disease in further 0.4% of young stroke patients. Silent infarcts, white matter intensities, and classical risk factors were highly prevalent, emphasizing the need for new early preventive strategies.

Clinical Trial Registration Information—

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov .Unique identifier: NCT00414583

A Low-Cost and Simple Method to Stop Intraoperative Leakage-Type Bleeding: Use of the Vancomycin–Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose (ORC) Sandwich

Intraoperative bleeding may cause life-threatening complications in patients if such bleeding cannot be brought under control. Various materials are available for stopping such bleeding. However, there are some difficulties in the acquisition and application of these materials. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of the low-cost and simple-to-prepare vancomycin-oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) sandwich in surgical bleeding control. Thirty New Zealand rabbits were used for this purpose. The animals were separated into three groups as group 1 (n = 10), control group; group 2 (n = 10), oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) group; and group 3 (n = 10), vancomycin-ORC sandwich group. Left thoracotomies were performed on the rabbits under general anesthesia, and bleeding was created in the parietal pleura. The amount of bleeding in the groups was measured and compared. The amount of bleeding in the group in which the vancomycin-ORC sandwich was used was found to be less, compared to the other two groups. According to these results, we conclude that the vancomycin-ORC sandwich can be used safely in the control of intraoperative leakage-type bleeding, as the vancomycin-ORC sandwich is a low-cost, easily applied, and easily acquired material.