title: Molecular markers and mechanisms of stroke: RNA studies of blood in animals and humans.
abstract: Whole genome expression microarrays can be used to study gene expression in blood, which comes in part from leukocytes, immature platelets, and red blood cells. Since these cells are important in the pathogenesis of stroke, RNA provides an index of these cellular responses to stroke. Our studies in rats have shown specific gene expression changes 24  hours after ischemic stroke, hemorrhage, status epilepticus, hypoxia, hypoglycemia, global ischemia, and following brief focal ischemia that simulated transient ischemic attacks in humans. Human studies show gene expression changes following ischemic stroke. These gene profiles predict a second cohort with >90% sensitivity and specificity. Gene profiles for ischemic stroke caused by large-vessel atherosclerosis and cardioembolism have been described that predict a second cohort with >85% sensitivity and specificity. Atherosclerotic genes were associated with clotting, platelets, and monocytes, and cardioembolic genes were associated with inflammation, infection, and neutrophils. These gene profiles predicted the cause of stroke in 58% of cryptogenic patients. These studies will provide diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic markers, and will advance our understanding of stroke in humans. New techniques to measure all coding and noncoding RNAs along with alternatively spliced transcripts will markedly advance molecular studies of human stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Sacramento, California 95817, USA. frank.sharp@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Frank R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Glen C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Jickling
authors.forename: Boryana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stamova
authors.forename: Yingfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Xinhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: DaZhi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuczynski
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Bradley P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Ander
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D012313:RNA / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012313:RNA