Analysis of Neutrophil/Lymphocyte ratio and Thiol/Disulfide homeostasis parameters in patients admitted to the emergency department with ischemic stroke

Identification of disulfidptosis-related genes and analysis of immune infiltration characteristics in ischemic strokes

Immune infiltration plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. A novel form of cell death known as disulfidptosis has emerged in recent studies. However, there is currently a lack of research investigating the regulatory mechanism of disulfidptosis-related genes in immune infiltration during ischemic stroke. Using machine learning methods, we identified candidate key disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs). Subsequently, we performed an analysis of immune cell infiltration to investigate the dysregulation of immune cells in the context of ischemic stroke. We assessed their diagnostic value by employing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. To gain further insights, we conducted functional enrichment analyses to elucidate the signaling pathways associated with these seven DRGs. We identified two distinct subclusters based on the expression patterns of these seven DRGs. The unique roles of these subclusters were further evaluated through KEGG analysis and immune infiltration studies. Furthermore, we validated the expression profiles of these seven DRGs using both single-cell datasets and external datasets. Lastly, molecular docking was performed to explore potential drugs for the treatment of ischemic stroke. We identified seven DRGs. The seven DRGs are related to immune cells. Additionally, these seven DRGs also demonstrate potential diagnostic value in ischemic stroke. Functional enrichment analysis highlighted pathways such as platelet aggregation and platelet activation. Two subclusters related to disulfidptosis were defined, and functional enrichment analysis of their differentially expressed genes (DEGs) primarily involved pathways like cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Single-cell analysis indicated that these seven DRGs were primarily distributed among immune cell types. Molecular docking results suggested that genistein might be a potential therapeutic drug. This study has opened up new avenues for exploring the causes of ischemic stroke and developing potential therapeutic targets.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Serum Concentrations of Ischaemia-Modified Albumin in Acute Ischaemic Stroke, Intracerebral Haemorrhage, and Subarachnoid Haemorrhage

The identification of robust circulating biomarkers of stroke may improve outcomes. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of serum concentrations of ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) in subjects with or without acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar from inception to March 2022. Risk of bias and certainty of evidence were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist and GRADE, respectively. In 17 studies, IMA concentrations were significantly higher in patients with AIS (standard mean difference, SMD = 2.52, 95% CI 1.92 to 3.12; p < 0.001), ICH (SMD = 3.13, 95% CI 1.00 to 5.25; p = 0.004), and SAH (SMD = 4.50, 95% CI 0.91 to 7.01; p = 0.014) vs. controls (very low certainty of evidence). In AIS, the effect size was associated with the male gender, and was relatively larger in studies conducted in Egypt and India and those using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. IMA concentrations were progressively higher, by direct comparison, in SAH, ICH, and AIS. In sensitivity analysis, the pooled SMDs were not altered when individual studies were sequentially removed. Our meta-analysis suggests that IMA concentrations might be useful to diagnose stroke and discriminate between AIS, ICH, and SAH (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021320535).

Clinical efficacy of atorvastatin calcium combined with aspirin in patients with acute ischemic stroke and effect on neutrophils, lymphocytes and IL-33

Clinical efficacy of atorvastatin calcium combined with aspirin in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and its effect on neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio (NLR) and interleukin-33 (IL-33) were investigated. In total, 108 patients with AIS in Luoyang Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from April 2016 to October 2017 were selected. There were 56 cases treated with atorvastatin calcium combined with aspirin as the observation group, and 52 cases were treated with aspirin alone as the control group. The clinical effect was observed. The NLR and IL-33 levels were measured by routine blood test and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before and after treatment. The scores of the National Institutes of Health Stroke scale (NIHSS) and the occurrence of complications were collected before and after treatment in the two groups. Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) was used to evaluate the curative effect. Score ≤2 points is effective in the treatment. Pearson's analysis was used to analyze the correlation between NLR, IL-33 and NIHSS score. The total hospitalization time and 1 year survival rate were compared. The total effective rate of treatment in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). There was no difference in NLR and IL-33 levels between the two groups before treatment (P>0.05). After treatment, the NLR in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the NIHSS score, the total number of complications and the total hospitalization time in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Pearson's analysis showed a positive correlation between NLR and NIHSS score (r=0.681, P<0.001), and a negative correlation between IL-33 and NIHSS score (r=-0.708, P<0.001). In conclusion, atorvastatin calcium combined with aspirin has a better effective rate in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke than aspirin alone. The combination can better reduce the NLR, increase the expression level of IL-33 in serum, reduce the occurrence of complications and hospitalization time, and increase the survival rate of patients.