title: Are stroke biomarkers seeing brain vessels in patients with ischemic stroke?: a C-reactive protein and homocysteine study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The significance of asymptomatic coronary artery atherosclerosis burden (CAB) in the interpretation of stroke biomarker results is unknown. We investigated biomarker values to determine if they are related to cerebral atherosclerosis with consideration of CAB.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively recruited patients with noncardioembolic ischemic cerebrovascular disease who had no history of coronary artery disease. Patient-based vascular assessment was conducted using MRA for the cerebral arteries and cardiac CT angiography for the coronary arteries. Biomarkers including the C-reactive protein and homocysteine were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 178 patients were included in the study. The extracranial carotid stenosis was associated with the highest quartile of C-reactive protein (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.04-4.55), whereas age was the only predictor of the highest quartile of homocysteine (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11). However, with consideration of CAB, CAB (≥2 segments with ≥50% stenosis) remained the only independent predictor for the highest quartile of C-reactive protein (OR, 8.69; 95% CI, 2.41-31.30) and homocysteine (OR, 11.44; 95% CI, 2.61-50.11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data emphasize the importance of CAB in biomarker studies of patients with ischemic stroke.
authors: Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710, South Korea.
authors: Suk Jae
authors: SJ
authors: Kim
authors: Yeon Hyeon
authors: YH
authors: Choe
authors: Oh Young
authors: OY
authors: Bang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000378:metabolism*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006710:Homocysteine; D002097:C-Reactive Protein