Neuroglobin Expression in Acute Ischemic Stroke – A Scoping Review

Abstract

Neuronal hypoxia increases the expression of a globin protein called neuroglobin (Ngb). Ngb has been characterized as a protein responsible for oxygen transport and reactive oxygen species scavenger. Research in rats found that ischemic areas in the brain have more Ngb expressions than nonischemic areas, and some believe that Ngb acts as a sensor for hypoxic stress and has a neuroprotective impact. Therefore, we investigated Ngb expression in acute ischemic stroke as a diagnostic and potential future therapeutic target for acute ischemic stroke. We conducted systematic searches on an online database to identify the papers related to Ngb expression in the ischemic brain or acute ischemic stroke using Arksey and O’Malley frameworks as the guideline for this scoping review. Of all five studies, the majority of publication consists of prospective studies. Studies showed that Ngb increased in the acute phase of stroke, and the expression was high in the peri-infarct compared to the normal brain and ischemic core. One study also found that peak serum Ngb concentration significantly correlated to infarct size (r = 0.484, P < 0.001) and NIHSS score (r = 0.578, P < 0.001). Ngb is a potential marker for predicting acute ischemic stroke’s severity and poor prognosis. Future research on comparing Ngb to other outcome assessments was needed. In addition, a study on the neuroprotective effect of Ngb polymorphism could be the future of ischemic stroke intervention.