Mean Platelet Volume Is Associated with Early Neurological Deterioration in Patients with Branch Atheromatous Disease: Involvement of Platelet Activation

Effect of mean platelet volume and platelet count on the prognosis of branch atheromatous disease

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive value of mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet count (PC) in branch atheromatous disease (BAD).

METHODS

This retrospective study included 216 patients with BAD-stroke within 48 h of symptom onset. These patients were divided into good and poor prognosis groups according to their 3-month modified Rankin scale scores after discharge. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate independent predictors of poor prognosis in BAD-stroke patients. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to estimate the predictive value of MPV and PC on BAD-stroke.

RESULTS

Our research showed that a higher MPV (aOR, 2.926; 95% CI, 2.040-4.196; p < .001) and PC (aOR, 1.013; 95% CI, 1.005-1.020; p = .001) were independently associated with poor prognosis after adjustment for confounders. The ROC analysis of MPV for predicting poor prognosis showed that the sensitivity and specificity were 74% and 84.9%, respectively, and that the AUC was .843 (95% CI, .776-.909, p < .001). The optimal cut-off value was 12.35. The incidence of early neurological deterioration (END) was 24.5% (53 of 163), and 66% of patients in the poor prognosis group had END (33 of 50). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that elevated MPV and PC were associated with the occurrence of END (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that an elevated MPV and PC may be important in predicting a worse outcome in BAD-stroke patients. Our study also demonstrated an independent association of MPV and PC with END, which is presumably the main reason for the poor prognosis.

Prediction of early neurological deterioration in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis

A proportion of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients suffer from early neurological deterioration (END) within 24 hours following intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), which greatly increases the risk of poor prognosis of these patients. Therefore, we aimed to explore the predictors of early neurological deterioration of ischemic origin (ENDi) in AIS patients after IVT and develop a nomogram prediction model. This study collected 244 AIS patients with post-thrombolysis ENDi as the derivation cohort and 155 patients as the validation cohort. To establish a nomogram prediction model, risk factors were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The results showed that neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (OR 2.616, 95% CI 1.640-4.175, P < 0.001), mean platelet volume (MPV) (OR 3.334, 95% CI 1.351-8.299, P = 0.009), body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.979, 95% CI 1.285-3.048, P = 0.002) and atrial fibrillation (AF) (OR 8.012, 95% CI 1.341-47.873, P = 0.023) were significantly associated with ENDi. The area under the curve of the prediction model constructed from the above four factors was 0.981 (95% CI 0.961-1.000) and the calibration curve was close to the ideal diagonal line. Therefore, this nomogram prediction model exhibited good discrimination and calibration power and might be a reliable and easy-to-use tool to predict post-thrombolysis ENDi in AIS patients.

The "island sign" on diffusion-weighted imaging predicts early neurological deterioration in penetrating artery territory infarctions: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Early neurological deterioration (END) sometimes occurs in patients with penetrating artery territory infarction (PATI) and leads to poor prognosis. In this study, we analyzed clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of PATI, and focused on the infarct patterns on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). We tried to investigate whether the "island sign" pattern is associated with END.

METHODS

We enrolled consecutive patients admitted with acute PATI within 48 h after onset from May 2020 to July 2022. They were divided into with and without the "island sign" pattern on DWI. According to infarct location, all the patients were classified into two groups: the territories of the lenticulostriate arteries (LSA) and paramedian pontine arteries (PPA). The patients in each group were further divided into two groups according to whether they developed END or not. Through analyzing the clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of the patients, we tried to identify the factors that might associated with the "island sign" pattern and the potential predictors of END within the LSA and PPA groups.

RESULTS

Out of the 113 patients enrolled in this study, END was found in 17 patients (27.9%) in the LSA group and 20 patients (38.5%) in the PPA group. The "island sign" was found in 26 (23%) patients. In the multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of END in the LSA group were the "island sign" (OR 4.88 95% CI 1.03-23.2 P = 0.045) and high initial National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (OR 1.79 95% CI 1.08-2.98 P = 0.024) and in the PPA group was the presence of lesions extending to the ventral pontine surface (OR 7.53 95% CI 1.75-32.37 P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

The predictive factors for END were different in the LSA and PPA groups. The "island sign" was particularly associated with END in the LSA group.

Common clinical blood and urine biomarkers for ischemic stroke: an Estonian Electronic Health Records database study

BACKGROUND

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a major health risk without generally usable effective measures of primary prevention. Early warning signals that are easy to detect and widely available can save lives. Estonia has one nation-wide Electronic Health Record (EHR) database for the storage of medical information of patients from hospitals and primary care providers.

METHODS

We extracted structured and unstructured data from the EHRs of participants of the Estonian Biobank (EstBB) and evaluated different formats of input data to understand how this continuously growing dataset should be prepared for best prediction. The utility of the EHR database for finding blood- and urine-based biomarkers for IS was demonstrated by applying different analytical and machine learning (ML) methods.

RESULTS

Several early trends in common clinical laboratory parameter changes (set of red blood indices, lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio, etc.) were established for IS prediction. The developed ML models predicted the future occurrence of IS with very high accuracy and Random Forests was proved as the most applicable method to EHR data.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the EHR database and the risk factors uncovered are valuable resources in screening the population for risk of IS as well as constructing disease risk scores and refining prediction models for IS by ML.

Serum uric acid to serum creatinine ratio predicts neurological deterioration in branch atheromatous disease

Background and objective

Branch atheromatous disease (BAD) makes patients prone to early neurological deterioration (END), resulting in poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between SUA/SCr and END in BAD stroke patients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study that included 241 patients with BAD-stroke within 48 h of symptom onset. We divided the patients into the END group and the no END group. END was defined as an NIHSS score increase of more than 2 points within 1 week. SUA/SCr was calculated by the concentration of serum uric acid and creatine (serum uric acid/serum creatine) on admission. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify independent predictors of END in BAD-stroke patients.

Results

END was observed in 24.1% (58/241) of the patients in our study. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that SUA/SCr (aOR, 0.716; 95% CI, 0.538-0.952; P = 0.022) and female sex (aOR, 0.469; 95% CI, 0.245-0.898; P = 0.022) were associated with END after adjusting for confounding factors. The predicted value of SUA/Scr for END was a sensitivity of 79.3%, a specificity of 44.8%, and an AUC of 0.609 (95% CI, 0.527-0.691, P < 0.05). The optimal cut-off value was 4.76.

Conclusion

SUA/SCr was negatively associated with the risk of END in BAD stroke patients.

Evaluation of combining Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) with mean platelet volume, plateletcrit, and platelet count in predicting short- and long-term prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND

There is controversy regarding Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) and platelet indices as predictors of outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aimed to assess the prognostic value of ASPECTS, mean platelet volume (MPV), plateletcrit (PCT), and platelet count (Plt) in 3-month and 1-year functional outcomes of AIS patients, both independently and in combination.

METHODS

This prospective study was conducted in Shams Al-shomuos and Ghaem hospitals of Mashhad, Iran from June 2019 to January 2021. Overall, 553 patients above 18 years old with first-ever anterior circulation AIS met the eligibility criteria and were included. Clinical, hematologic, radiologic, and demographic data of patients were recorded at baseline. The 3-month and 1-year functional outcome was evaluated by modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the independent predictors of poor functional outcome (mRS>2) and mortality.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 65.50 ± 14.41 years and 282 patients (51%) were male. ASPECTS ≤ 7 was an independent predictor of both poor function (OR=1.94, 95%CI=1.04-3.62, P = 0.04) and mortality (OR=2.02, 95%CI=1.14-3.58, P = 0.02) at 1 year. MPV was also a strong predictor of 3-month (OR=3.88, 95%CI=2.04-7.38, P = 0.02) and 1-year (OR=3.32, 95%CI=1.91-5.78, P = 0.01) mortality, as well as 3-month (OR=3.25, 95%CI=1.80-5.86, P < 0.001) and 1-year (OR=4.35, 95%CI=2.36-8.02, P < 0.001) poor function. For 1-year poor function (OR=9.33, 95%CI=2.19-39.73, P = 0.003) and mortality (OR=6.40, 95%CI=2.09-19.64, P = 0.001), ASPECTS combined with all platelet indices found to be a more robust independent predictor compared to each variable alone.

CONCLUSION

Although MPV is an independent predictor of both 3-month and 1-year poor function and mortality in AIS patients, ASPECTS ≤ 7 was found to be a risk factor for 1-year poor function and mortality. Moreover, the prognostic value of both platelet indices and ASPECTS are greater when they are combined together in AIS patients.

The Role of Platelets in the Stimulation of Neuronal Synaptic Plasticity, Electric Activity, and Oxidative Phosphorylation: Possibilities for New Therapy of Neurodegenerative Diseases

The central nervous system (CNS) is highly vascularized where neuronal cells are located in proximity to endothelial cells, astroglial limitans, and neuronal processes constituting integrated neurovascular units. In contrast to many other organs, the CNS has a blood-brain barrier (BBB), which becomes compromised due to infection, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, traumatic brain injury, and other reasons. BBB disruption is presumably involved in neuronal injury during epilepsy and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, many types of neuropsychological disorders are accompanied by an increase in BBB permeability leading to direct contact of circulating blood cells in the capillaries with neuronal cells in the CNS. The second most abundant type of blood cells are platelets, which come after erythrocytes and outnumber ~100-fold circulating leukocytes. When BBB becomes compromised, platelets swiftly respond to the vascular injury and become engaged in thrombosis and hemostasis. However, more recent studies demonstrated that platelets could also enter CNS parenchyma and directly interact with neuronal cells. Within CNS, platelets become activated by recognizing major brain gangliosides on the surface of astrocytes and neurons and releasing a milieu of pro-inflammatory mediators, neurotrophic factors, and neurotransmitters. Platelet-derived factors directly stimulate neuronal electric and synaptic activity and promote the formation of new synapses and axonal regrowth near the site of damage. Despite such active involvement in response to CNS damage, the role of platelets in neurological disorders was not extensively studied, which will be the focus of this review.

Mean Platelet Volume as a Potential Marker of Large Vessel Occlusion and Predictor of Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated with Reperfusion Therapy

(1) Background: An early diagnosis of a large vessel occlusion (LVO) is crucial in the management of the acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The laboratory predictors of LVO and a stroke outcome remain unknown. We have hypothesized that high MPV—a surrogate marker of the activated platelet—may be associated with LVO, and it may predict a worse AIS outcome. (2) Methods: This was a retrospective study of 361 patients with AIS who were treated with thrombolysis (tPA, 65.7%) and/or mechanical thrombectomy (MT, 34.3%) in a tertiary Stroke Center between 2011 and 2019. (3) Results: The mean MPV in the cohort was 9.86 ± 1.5 fL (1st–4th quartiles: <8.8, >10.80 fL). Patients in the 4th quartile compared to the 1st had a significantly (p < 0.01) more often incidence of an LVO related stroke (75% vs. 39%) and a severe stroke manifestation with a higher RACE score (5.2 ± 2.8 vs. 3.3 ± 2.4), NIHSS at baseline (mean ± SD, 14 ± 6.5 vs. 10.9 ± 5.2), and NIHSS at discharge (6.9 ± 7 vs. 3.9 ± 3.6). A multivariate analysis revealed that quartiles of MPV (OR 1.4; 95%CI 1.2–1.8) significantly predicted an LVO stroke, also after the adjustment for RACE < 5 (OR 1.4; 95%CI 1.08–1.89), but MPV quartiles did not predict a favorable stroke outcome (mRS ≤ 2) (OR 0.89; 95%CI 0.7–1.13). (4) Conclusion: Our data suggest that MPV is an independent predictor of LVO in patients with an acute ischemic stroke.

Early neurological deterioration in cardiogenic cerebral embolism due to nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: Predisposing factors and clinical implications

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to investigate factors which may predispose patients to early neurological deterioration (END) and explore peripheral biomarkers for the prediction of END in cardiogenic cerebral embolism (CCE) patients.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with CCE within 24 hr of onset between January 2017 and January 2019 were included in this study. END was defined as an increase of ≥2 on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) or the emergence of new neurological symptoms within 3 days of admission. Binary logistic regression was used to investigate the factors associated with END. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were then generated to determine the predictive value of the potential biomarkers and the optimal cutoff values.

RESULTS

Of the 129 (male, 55.81%; mean age 71.85 ± 11.99 years) CCE patients, 55 patients with END were identified. Hemorrhage transformation (HT), coronary heart disease (CHD), diastolic blood pressure, cystatin C levels, NIHSS score, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) at admission were independently associated with END. A peripheral cystatin C level ≥ 1.41 mg/L and a PLR ≥ 132.97 were predictive factors for END in CCE patients. The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was negatively independently associated with HT, and LMR < 2.31 may predict the occurrence of HT in patients with CCE.

CONCLUSIONS

Of the potential predisposing factors considered, increased cystatin C and PLR were associated with END within 3 days of CCE, and a decreased LMR may have predictive value for HT in CCE patients.

External Validation of the WORSEN Score for Prediction the Deterioration of Acute Ischemic Stroke in a Chinese Population

Background: Early neurological deterioration (END) has been recognized as a serious neurological complication after acute ischemic stroke. However, to date, the WORSEN score was the only one scoring system specifically developed to detect END events in acute ischemic stroke patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the WORSEN score's utility in China, and to determine the potential predictors of END in acute stroke patients. Methods: Consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology, Aerospace Center Hospital between March 2015 to February 2017 were recruited into the study's cohort and divided into two groups: patients with and without END. END was defined as either an increase in two or more NIHSS points, an increment of at least one point in motor power or a description of fluctuating of clinical symptoms in medical reports during the first 7 days after admission. Severe END was defined as an increase of NIHSS ≥ 4 points from baseline during the first 7 days after admission. Results: Three hundred fifty four patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled in the present study and 67.5% were male. END occurred in 90 of these patients and severe END occurred in 55 of these patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that an initial NIHSS score ≥8, diameter of infarction, striatocapsular infarction, and TOAST type of large arterial atherosclerosis were independent predictors for END. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the WORSEN score for the prediction of END was 0.80 (95%CI 0.75-0.84), with a sensitivity of 62.22%, a specificity of 88.26%, positive predictive values of 64.37% and negative predictive values of 87.27%. Meanwhile, the AUC of the WORSEN score for the prediction of severe END was 0.82 (95%CI 0.78-0.86), with a sensitivity of 70.91%, specificity of 83.95%, positive predictive values of 44.83% and negative predictive values of 94.01%. Conclusion: END is a relatively common neurological complication in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Our findings showed that the WORSEN score had a good predictive value for identifying patients with END in a Chinese population. Moving forward, multi-center studies are required for further validations.

Early administration of tirofiban after urokinase-mediated intravenous thrombolysis reduces early neurological deterioration in patients with branch atheromatous disease

Objectives

To investigate the effects of early administration of tirofiban after intravenous thrombolysis on early neurological deterioration in patients with branch atheromatous disease.

Methods

We analyzed clinical data from patients with branch atheromatous disease. We enrolled seven cases into the urokinase-only (UO) control group and 10 cases into the urokinase + tirofiban (UT) treatment group. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were obtained at admission and on days 3 and 5 after admission. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores were obtained 3 months after admission.

Results

Significant differences between the UO and UT groups were evident on days 3 and 5 after admission. In the UT group, there was a significant difference between NIHSS scores at admission and on day 5, while there were no significant differences in scores in the UO group. The early neurological deterioration rates were not significantly different between the two groups. However, there were significant differences in these rates at 72 and 120 hours. Both the mRS scores and the prognoses at 3 months differed between the two groups.

Conclusion

Early administration of tirofiban after urokinase-mediated intravenous thrombolysis reduces early neurological deterioration and improves the long-term prognosis of patients with branch atheromatous disease.

Mean platelet volume and coronary artery disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To critically review the literature describing links between mean platelet volume (MPV) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We will focus on coronary artery disease (CAD). The MPV is measured routinely as part of a routine blood count.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is accumulating evidence showing that the MPV may predict CVD, as well as outcomes in patients with CAD. There is also evidence linking MPV and comorbidities (e.g. diabetes mellitus and impaired glycaemic control) that are expected in patients with CAD. The effect on MPV of drugs commonly used to treat CAD has not been clarified, but there is some evidence that they may exert a beneficial effect on the MPV. More specifically, the MPV may predict the effect of antiplatelet drugs (e.g. clopidogrel). There is also evidence relating MPV to stroke, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery ectasia and periprocedural outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

SUMMARY

Measuring the MPV may prove useful in CVD risk assessment in patients with established CAD or at risk of developing CAD. Overall, there is evidence pointing to the role of MPV as a contributor rather than simple marker of CVD.

The mean platelet volume on admission predicts unfavorable stroke outcomes in patients treated with IV thrombolysis

Purpose

The role of biomarkers in the prediction of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) outcome or response to thrombolytic therapy (with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator [rt-PA]) remains limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether mean platelet volume (MPV) could predict short-term functional outcome in patients with AIS following rt-PA treatment.

Patients and methods

This was a retrospective analysis of 237 AIS patients (mean age 71.04±0.8 years, 50.6% women) consecutively admitted to a tertiary care center between 2011 and 2015.

Results

The mean MPV in the cohort was 9.8±0.35 fL (lowest tertile <7.29 fL, median 7.29–8.8 fL, and highest tertile >8.8 fL). Patients in the lowest tertile compared to median and highest tertiles were less often dependent (modified Rankin scale [mRS] ≥3) at admission (87.2% vs 96.1% and 96.1%, respectively, P=0.04) and less often had a poor stroke outcome (mRS 4–6) at discharge (28.2% vs 55.3% and 44.7%, P<0.01). However, there was no significant difference between tertiles with regard to AIS etiology, CT (Alberta Stroke Program Early CT) score, frequency of stroke due to large artery occlusion, risk of secondary hemorrhage, and early neurologic deterioration. Multivariable analysis after adjustment for confounders showed that patients in the second and third tertiles had a significantly higher risk of poor stroke outcome (OR =1.9, 95% CI =1.01–4), lack of early improvement (OR =1.91, 95% CI =1.05–3.47), lower chance of good outcome (mRS 0–2; OR =0.38, 95% CI =0.18–0.78), or minor stroke at discharge (OR =0.47, 95% CI =0.26–0.84). Receiver operating characteristic analysis for prediction of poor stroke outcome showed that the optimal cut-off point of MPV was 8.8 fL (area under the curve 0.586 [0.512–0.659], P=0.03) with a sensitivity of 82.7% and a specificity of 43.9%.

Conclusion

Disabling or fatal ischemic stroke in thrombolyzed patients was observed more often in patients with high admission MPV. The prognostic value of MPV was independent of other well-defined individual risk factors.