Correlation between serum cystatin C levels and cerebral microbleeds in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Abstract

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum cystatin C (CysC) levels and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods The patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled. Susceptibility weighted imaging was used to identify the presence of CMBs. Particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay was used to detect the levels of serum CysC. Results A total of 485 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled, including 151 (31.1%) with CMBs. The level of serum CysC of the CMB group was significantly higher than that of the non-CMB group (1.24±0.13 mg/L vs. 1.02±0.11 mg/L; t=4.261, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the increased serum CysC level was an independent risk factor for the presence of CMBs in patients with acute ischemic stroke (each increase in one standard deviation, odds ratio 4.063, 95% confidence interval 2.142-8.127; P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the number of CMBs in patients with acute ischemic stroke increased with the increasing serum CysC level after adjusting for other confounders (r2=0.361, P=0.017). Conclusions In patients with acute ischemic stroke, the serum CysC levels are independently associated with the CMBs, and the number of CMBs increases with the serum CysC level. Key words: Cerebral Hemorrhage; Stroke; Brain Ischemia; Cystatin C; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Risk Factors