Association of Inflammatory Markers with Intima-Media Thickness and Acute Ischemic Stroke

Purpose: White blood cell count (WBC), fibrinogen or C-reactive protein (CRP) were found to be increased after stroke and early onset carotid atherosclerosis was associated with increased intima-media thickness (IMT). The aim of our study was to investigate the association of these inflammatory markers with acute ischemic stroke and to assess their contribution to the changes in carotid IMT and stenosis.Methods: Seventy patients admitted to the Department of 1st Neurology, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital in the period of September 2004-March 2005 with the diagnosis of first-ever acute ischemic stroke were included. All patients were investigated by routine hematological, biochemical and microbiological tests, cranial computerized tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, transthoracic echocardiography and high resolution B-mode Doppler ultrasonography.Results: The mean levels of CRP, fibrinogen and WBC were significantly higher than the control group ( p=0.045, p=0.000, p=0.007, respectively). The mean IMT was found to be higher in the patient group and was significantly correlated with CRP levels (p=0.005). There was no relationship between the risk factors and the mean levels of CRP, fibrinogen and WBC except for the correlation between hypertrygliseridemia and CRP (p=0.000). There was a significant relationship between the mean levels of CRP (p=0.000) and fibrinogen (p= 0.016) with the dimensions of large infarct, whereas WBC was not in correlation with the infarct size (p=0.194).Conclusion: Our study supports an association between CRP and intima media thickness of the internal carotid artery. Elevation of CRP was an independent predictor of atherosclerosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke.