title: Sex differences and the role of IL-10 in ischemic stroke recovery.
abstract: Females experience poorer recovery after ischemic stroke compared to males, even after controlling for age and stroke severity. IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine produced by T regulatory cells and Th2 CD4(+) helper T cells. In ischemic stroke, an excessive IL-10 response contributes to post-stroke immunosuppression, which worsens outcomes. However, it is unknown if sex differences exist in IL-10 levels after ischemic stroke. In this study, we found that higher levels of IL-10 were associated with poor acute and long-term outcomes after ischemic stroke in female patients but not in males. After controlling for confounders, IL-10 was not an independent predictor of functional outcomes. This suggests that higher serum IL-10 levels may reflect factors that interact with sex such as age and stroke severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030 USA ; New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016 USA.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.affiliation: Department Of Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030 USA.
authors.forename: Meaghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roy-O'Reilly
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030 USA.
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Friedler
authors.affiliation: Research Program, Hartford Hospital, 80 Seymour Street, Hartford, CT 06106 USA.
authors.forename: Ilene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Staff
authors.affiliation: Research Program, Hartford Hospital, 80 Seymour Street, Hartford, CT 06106 USA.
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fortunato
authors.affiliation: Department Of Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030 USA.
authors.forename: Louise D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: McCullough
keywords: Cytokines; IL-10; Inflammation; Sex differences; Stroke