Pilot Exploratory Analysis of Serum Gonadal Hormones, Inflammatory Proteins, and Intracerebral Hemorrhage Outcomes

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains the least treatable form of stroke, with inflammation implicated as a major pathophysiological feature. Hence, this study sought to associate serum proteins and hormones associated with inflammation and ICH outcomes. Patients presenting to Duke University Hospital with computed tomography-verified spontaneous, supratentorial, non-traumatic ICH within 24 h of symptom onset were prospectively recruited. In this pilot study, equal numbers of men and women and Black and White individuals were included and matched by a 6-month modified Rankin Score (mRS). The primary analyses were the correlation of L-ratios (LR; Log2(Day 2/Day 1 concentrations)) of serum gonadal hormones and neuroinflammatory proteins with mRS > 3 at 6 months. A total of 40 participants were included in this pilot study. LRs were significantly higher for C-reactive protein (CRP; <i>p</i> = 0.013) and lower for interleukin-6 (IL-6; <i>p</i> = 0.026) and surfactant protein-D (<i>p</i> = 0.036) in participants with unfavorable outcomes at 6 months after ICH. Further, higher CRP (<i>p</i> = 0.02) and lower IL-6 (<i>p</i> = 0.035) and surfactant protein-D (<i>p</i> = 0.041) LRs were associated with mRS > 3 at 6 months after ICH in multiple logistic regression analyses, adjusted for race and sex. The relationship amongst gonadal hormones, neuroinflammatory proteins, and ICH outcome is complex. In this pilot study, unfavorable outcomes after ICH may have been associated with selected inflammatory biomarkers. A larger scale study is warranted to define interactions between hormones, proteins, and their effects on ICH outcomes.