Ischemic stroke and inflammatory markers: a case–control study

Abstract Background Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of disability and death among the elderly. The pathophysiology of stroke is complex, with oxidative stress and inflammation being key mechanisms underlying neuronal damage. This study aims to evaluate the concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and TNF-β) in acute cerebral ischemic stroke and their correlation with disease severity within the initial 24 h. A case–control study, conducted on 79 Egyptian individuals including 59 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 20 healthy volunteers as control, matched by age and sex with the case group. All patients were assessed using the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). C-reactive protein, leukocyte count, and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, TNF-β) were measured at admission. Results Fifty-nine patients with acute ischemic stroke presented within 24 h of symptom onset. Total NIHSS of all patients was 14.42 ± 9.549. 11.9% had minor ischemic stroke (group A), 57.6% were moderate ischemic stroke (group B) and moderate-to-severe ischemic stroke presented in 30.5% of patients (group C). There were highly significant differences in all studied variables in the total patient group compared to control ( P = 0.001). Additionally, all inflammatory biomarkers were significantly elevated in moderate and severe patients compared to the control group according to NIHSS. Conclusions Serum inflammatory biomarkers may serve as indicators to assess acute ischemic stroke severity at admission and predict outcomes.