Diagnostic Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Combined with MiR-125b-5p in Acute Cerebral Infarction and Its Correlation with Carotid Plaque Neovascularization

The vulnerability of carotid plaque is a risk factor for the development of acute cerebral infarction (ACI). Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is widely employed in the assessment of carotid plaque. miR-125b-5p was reported to be associated with the development of ACI. The aim was to investigate the diagnostic value of CEUS combined with serum miR-125b-5p for ACI and its correlation with carotid plaque. The study included 102 ACI patients and 80 non-ACI patients (controls) with carotid plaques. All subjects underwent CEUS examination. Serum miR-125b-5p levels were detected by RT-qPCR. The correlation between plaque neovascularization grade and each indicator was analyzed by Spearman's method. The diagnostic value of CEUS combined with miR-125b-5p was analyzed by the ROC curve. CEUS parameters peak intensity ratio (PIR) and area under the curve (AUC_ceus) values were higher in the ACI group, but mean transit time (MTT) and time to peak (TTP) values were significantly lower. In ACI patients, miR-125b-5p was upregulated and positively correlated with NIHSS scores. The combination of miR-125b-5p, TTP, and AUC_ceus showed higher AUC, sensitivity, and specificity than the individual indicators in differentiating between ACI patients and controls. PIR, TTP, AUC_ceus, MTT, and miR-125b-5p were strongly correlated with neovascularization grades of ACI patients. The combination of CEUS with serum miR-125b-5p had better diagnostic significance in ACI patients with carotid plaque. CEUS parameters and serum miR-125b-5p were significantly correlated with carotid plaque neovascularization.