Faculty Opinions recommendation of Intracerebral Iron Accumulation may be Associated with Secondary Brain Injury in Patients with Poor Grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Author(s):  
Stephan Mayer
Author(s):  
Raimund Helbok ◽  
Verena Rass ◽  
Mario Kofler ◽  
Heribert Talasz ◽  
Alois Schiefecker ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The amount of intracranial blood is a strong predictor of poor outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Here, we aimed to measure iron concentrations in the cerebral white matter, using the cerebral microdialysis (CMD) technique, and to associate iron levels with the local metabolic profile, complications, and functional outcome. Methods For the observational cohort study, 36 patients with consecutive poor grade SAH (Hunt & Hess grade of 4 or 5, Glasgow Coma Scale Score ≤ 8) undergoing multimodal neuromonitoring were analyzed for brain metabolic changes, including CMD iron levels quantified by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The study time encompassed 14 days after admission. Statistical analysis was performed using generalized estimating equations. Results Patients were admitted in a poor clinical grade (n = 26, 72%) or deteriorated within 24 h (n = 10, 28%). The median blood volume in the subarachnoid space was high (SAH sum score = 26, interquartile range 20–28). Initial CMD iron was 44 µg/L (25–65 µg/L), which significantly decreased to a level of 25 µg/L (14–30 µg/L) at day 4 and then constantly increased over the remaining neuromonitoring days (p < 0.01). A higher intraventricular hemorrhage sum score (≥ 5) was associated with higher CMD iron levels (Wald-statistic = 4.1, df  = 1, p = 0.04) but not with the hemorrhage load in the subarachnoid space (p = 0.8). In patients developing vasospasm, the CMD iron load was higher, compared with patients without vasospasm (Wald-statistic = 4.1, degree of freedom = 1, p = 0.04), which was not true for delayed cerebral infarction (p = 0.4). Higher iron concentrations in the brain extracellular fluid (34 µg/L, 36–56 µg/L vs. 23 µg/L, 15–37 µg/L) were associated with mitochondrial dysfunction (CMD lactate to pyruvate ratio > 30 and CMD-pyruvate > 70 µM/L, p < 0.001). Brain extracellular iron load was not associated with functional outcome after 3 months (p > 0.5). Conclusions This study suggests that iron accumulates in the cerebral white matter in patients with poor grade SAH. These findings may support trials aiming to scavenger brain extracellular iron based on the hypothesis that iron-mediated neurotoxicity may contribute to acute and secondary brain injury following SAH.


2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umeshkumar Athiraman ◽  
Diane Aum ◽  
Ananth K. Vellimana ◽  
Joshua W. Osbun ◽  
Rajat Dhar ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEDelayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is characterized by large-artery vasospasm, distal autoregulatory dysfunction, cortical spreading depression, and microvessel thrombi. Large-artery vasospasm has been identified as an independent predictor of poor outcome in numerous studies. Recently, several animal studies have identified a strong protective role for inhalational anesthetics against secondary brain injury after SAH including DCI—a phenomenon referred to as anesthetic conditioning. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential role of inhalational anesthetics against cerebral vasospasm and DCI in patients suffering from an SAH.METHODSAfter IRB approval, data were collected retrospectively for all SAH patients admitted to the authors’ hospital between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2013, who received general anesthesia with either inhalational anesthetics only (sevoflurane or desflurane) or combined inhalational (sevoflurane or desflurane) and intravenous (propofol) anesthetics during aneurysm treatment. The primary outcomes were development of angiographic vasospasm and development of DCI during hospitalization. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of these endpoints.RESULTSThe cohort included 157 SAH patients whose mean age was 56 ± 14 (± SD). An inhalational anesthetic–only technique was employed in 119 patients (76%), while a combination of inhalational and intravenous anesthetics was employed in 34 patients (22%). As expected, patients in the inhalational anesthetic–only group were exposed to significantly more inhalational agent than patients in the combination anesthetic group (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified inhalational anesthetic–only technique (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14–0.89), Hunt and Hess grade (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.03–2.22), and diabetes (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.06–0.55) as significant predictors of angiographic vasospasm. In contradistinction, the inhalational anesthetic–only technique had no significant impact on the incidence of DCI or functional outcome at discharge, though greater exposure to desflurane (as measured by end-tidal concentration) was associated with a lower incidence of DCI.CONCLUSIONSThese data represent the first evidence in humans that inhalational anesthetics may exert a conditioning protective effect against angiographic vasospasm in SAH patients. Future studies will be needed to determine whether optimized inhalational anesthetic paradigms produce definitive protection against angiographic vasospasm; whether they protect against other events leading to secondary brain injury after SAH, including microvascular thrombi, autoregulatory dysfunction, blood-brain barrier breakdown, neuroinflammation, and neuronal cell death; and, if so, whether this protection ultimately improves patient outcome.


Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Roelz ◽  
Fabian Schubach ◽  
Volker A. Coenen ◽  
Carolin Jenkner ◽  
Christian Scheiwe ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Delayed cerebral infarction (DCI) is a major cause of death and poor neurological outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Direct intrathecal therapies with fibrinolytic and spasmolytic drugs have appeared promising in clinical trials. However, access to the subarachnoid space for intrathecal drug administration is an unsolved problem so far, especially in patients with endovascular aneurysm securing. We investigate a therapy protocol based on stereotactic catheter ventriculocisternostomy (STX-VCS), a new approach to overcome this problem. The primary objective of this study is to assess whether cisternal lavage with urokinase, nimodipine, and Ringer’s solution administered via a stereotactically implanted catheter into the basal cisterns (= investigational treatment (IT)) is safe and improves neurological outcome in patients with aSAH. Methods This is a randomized, controlled, parallel-group, open-label phase II trial. Fifty-four patients with severe aSAH (WFNS grade ≥ 3) will be enrolled at one academic tertiary care center in Southern Germany. Patients will be randomized at a ratio of 1:1 to receive either standard of care only or standard of care plus the IT. The primary endpoint is the proportion of subjects with a favorable outcome on the Modified Rankin Scale (defined as mRS 0–3) at 6 months after aSAH. Further clinical and surrogate outcome parameters are defined as secondary endpoints. Discussion New approaches for the prevention and therapy of secondary brain injury in patients with aSAH are urgently needed. We propose this RCT to assess the clinical safety and efficacy of a novel therapy protocol for intrathecal administration of urokinase, nimodipine, and Ringer’s solution. Trial registration Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (German Clinical Trials Register), DRKS00015645. Registered on 8 May 2019


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 100310
Author(s):  
K. Akeret ◽  
R.M. Buzzi ◽  
C.A. Schaer ◽  
B.R. Thomson ◽  
F. Vallelian ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 659-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Bruder ◽  
Sae-Yeon Won ◽  
Sepide Kashefiolasl ◽  
Marlies Wagner ◽  
Nina Brawanski ◽  
...  

ObjectiveSecondary brain injury leads to high morbidity and mortality rates in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). However, evidence-based treatment strategies are sparse. Since heparin has various effects on neuroinflammation, microthromboembolism and vasomotor function, our objective was to determine whether heparin can be used as a multitarget prophylactic agent to ameliorate morbidity in SAH.MethodsBetween June 1999 and December 2014, 718 patients received endovascular treatment after rupture of an intracranial aneurysm at our institution; 197 of them were treated with continuous unfractionated heparin in therapeutic dosages after the endovascular procedure. We performed a matched pair analysis to evaluate the effect of heparin on cerebral vasospasm (CVS), cerebral infarction (CI), and outcome.ResultsThe rate of severe CVS was significantly reduced in the heparin group compared with the control group (14.2% vs 25.4%; p=0.005). CI and multiple ischemic lesions were less often present in patients with heparin treatment. These effects were enhanced if patients were treated with heparin for >48 hours, but the difference was not significant. Favorable outcome at 6-month follow-up was achieved in 69% in the heparin group and in 65% in the control group.ConclusionsPatients receiving unfractionated continuous heparin after endovascular aneurysm occlusion have a significant reduction in the rate of severe CVS, have CI less often, and tend to have a favorable outcome more often. Our findings support the potential beneficial effects of heparin as a multitarget therapy in patients with SAH, resulting in an additional ‘H’ therapy in vasospasm treatment.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0271678X2110206
Author(s):  
Kevin Akeret ◽  
Raphael M Buzzi ◽  
Christian A Schaer ◽  
Bart R Thomson ◽  
Florence Vallelian ◽  
...  

Secondary brain injury after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH-SBI) contributes to poor outcomes in patients after rupture of an intracranial aneurysm. The lack of diagnostic biomarkers and novel drug targets represent an unmet need. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and pathophysiological association between cerebrospinal fluid hemoglobin (CSF-Hb) and SAH-SBI. In a cohort of 47 patients, we collected daily CSF-samples within 14 days after aneurysm rupture. There was very strong evidence for a positive association between spectrophotometrically determined CSF-Hb and SAH-SBI. The accuracy of CSF-Hb to monitor for SAH-SBI markedly exceeded that of established methods (AUC: 0.89 [0.85-0.92]). Temporal proteome analysis revealed erythrolysis accompanied by an adaptive macrophage response as the two dominant biological processes in the CSF-space after aneurysm rupture. Ex-vivo experiments on the vasoconstrictive and oxidative potential of Hb revealed critical inflection points overlapping CSF-Hb thresholds in patients with SAH-SBI. Selective depletion and in-solution neutralization by haptoglobin or hemopexin efficiently attenuated the vasoconstrictive and lipid peroxidation activities of CSF-Hb. Collectively, the clinical association between high CSF-Hb levels and SAH-SBI, the underlying pathophysiological rationale, and the favorable effects of haptoglobin and hemopexin in ex-vivo experiments position CSF-Hb as a highly attractive biomarker and potential drug target.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Bevers ◽  
Cristina Sastre ◽  
India Lissak ◽  
Eric Rosenthal ◽  
W. Taylor Kimberly

Background: We recently found that soluble ST2 (sST2) is a plasma marker that predicts neurological outcome after ischemic stroke and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. We sought to extend these findings by studying sST2 associations with markers of secondary brain injury and peripheral innate immunity. Methods: We studied 241 acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with sST2 level measured on admission (7.4 ± 3.7 hrs after stroke onset) and at least one follow-up brain imaging study, obtained at a mean of 2.2 ± 1.4 days after stroke onset. A subgroup (n=147) had a second sST2 measurement at a mean of 2.1 ± 1.7 days after stroke onset. A separate cohort of 110 subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients were studied who had plasma sST2 measured at approximately 3.5 ± 1.2 days after ictus. Markers of secondary brain injury included edema after AIS (midline shift), and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) or epileptiform discharges on EEG after SAH. The relationships between sST2 level and outcome measures were assessed. Primary blood mononuclear cells from SAH patients and elective aneurysm controls were analyzed by multiparameter flow cytometry to phenotype the peripheral immune response. Results: In the AIS cohort, baseline plasma sST2 level was associated with the presence of midline shift (46.1 vs. 41.8 ng/mL, p=0.017), which further increased at 48 hr after stroke onset (50.6 vs. 38.4 ng/mL, p=0.006). In the SAH cohort, median sST2 in patients who developed new epileptiform abnormalities was higher compared to patients who did not (114.8 ng/ml vs. 74.7 ng/ml, p=0.024). Higher median sST2 concentration was also observed in those patients with DCI (90.8 vs 53.7ng/mL, p=0.003). In patients with high sST2, flow cytometry identified a peripheral monocyte population with decreased expression of CD14 (4.27x105 ± 2950 A.U. vs. 5.64x105 ± 1290 A.U., p<0.001), and increased expression of CD16 (39,960 ± 272 A.U. vs. 34,869 ± 183 A.U., p<0.001). Conclusion: Plasma sST2 independently predicts edema after stroke, and DCI and epileptiform abnormalities after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Elevated sST2 is also associated with changes in peripheral innate immune cells. These data suggest that sST2 links the innate immune response to secondary brain injury.


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