Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio as a Risk Determinant of Hemorrhage Transformation in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and classification of non-thrombolytic hemorrhagic transformation (HT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS), to unravel new diagnostic approach. Methods: We recruited and selected 636 patients who did not undergo thrombolytic therapy between May 2018 and April 2019 at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University. The laboratory and clinical data were collected within 24 h after the onset of AIS. Based on the status of HT development during hospitalization, all participants were divided into three groups, namely, the non-HT (NHT) group, hemorrhagic infarction (HI) group, and parenchymal hematoma (PH) group. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NLR and the ischemic lesion diameter are independent risk factors of HI and PH, while the score of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and cardioembolism are considered to be independent risk factors for PH only. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis determined that the optimal cutoff values of NLR in HI group and PH group were 3.75 and 3.97, respectively. The optimal cutoff value can be used as the critical value for the unfavorable outcome. Conclusion: NLR values were significantly increased and correlated with both HI and PH groups and NLR could be used as a predictor of both HI and PH.

Serum Homocysteine as One of the Risk Factors of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Chinese Patients

Objective: This study aimed to determine the risk factors of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) from different variables including serum homocysteine (Hcy) in a group of Chinese patients. Methods: A total of 139 patients with CSVD admitted to the affiliated hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from July 2017 to July 2018 were enrolled. Fifty healthy individuals were selected as controls. According to the diagnostic criteria, the CSVD patients were divided into three groups, namely, lacunar infarction (LI) group (n=59), white matter lesion (WML) group (n=46), and LI+WML group (n=34). The serum Hcy levels of the three groups were observed and compared. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine whether a number of variables including serum Hcy level are the risk factors of CSVD. Results: Hypertension, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TGs), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and Hcy were significantly higher in CSVD group than the control group (P < 0.05). The age, gender, SBP, platelet, TG, and Hcy were significantly different between the LI group, WML group, and LI+WML groups (P<0.05). The age and Hcy level of patients in LI+WML group were higher than those of the LI group and WML group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The level of SBP was higher in the LI group than the WML group (P < 0.05). The Hcy level of patients in the LI group was higher than that in the WML group, but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). The platelet and TG were significantly higher in WML group than LI group and LI+WML group (P < 0.05). Controlling the influence of sex and age, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the Hcy levels were correlated with the incidence of the CSVD. Conclusion: Serum Hcy level is a risk factor for CSVD. Regular detection of serum Hcy level and timely intervention may effectively prevent and control the occurrence and development of CSVD.