title: Basic mechanisms in intracranial large-artery atherosclerosis: advances and challenges.
abstract: Intracranial large-artery atherosclerosis is a major cause of ischemic stroke worldwide. Patients affected by this disease are at a high risk of suffering recurrent ischemic events despite antithrombotic therapy. Progression and a greater extent of intracranial atherosclerosis imply a higher risk for recurrence. Studies performed by our group in patients with symptomatic intracranial large-artery atherosclerosis have shown that: (1) C-reactive protein predicts its progression and recurrence, suggesting that inflammation may play a deleterious role in this condition; (2) a high level of the anti-angiogenic endostatin is also associated with a progressive and recurrent intracranial atherosclerosis, which might support a beneficial role for angiogenesis in this group of patients; and (3) elevated lipoprotein(a) concentration and diabetes mellitus characterize those patients with a higher number of intracranial stenoses.
authors.affiliation: Neurovascular Unit, Department of Neurology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain. juanfarenillas@terra.es
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Arenillas
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Sabín
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology