Relation of inflammation index and degree of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with acute cerebral infarction

Objective:To explore the relationship of inflammatory indexes including hs-CRP,CD3+/HLA-DR+ and neutrophil CD64 in peripheral blood and carotid atherosclerosis in acute cerebral infarction patients. Methods : 100 patients with acute cerebral infarction (infarction group) who were confirmed to have carotid atherosclerosis by color ultrasound examination,were divided into carotid intima thickening group (n=20),carotid plaque group (n=56) and carotid stenosis group (n=24) according to the degree of lesion. 50 healthy controls were recruited as the control group. The levels of hs-CRP,CD3+/HLA-DR+ and neutrophil CD64 index in all groups were detected by immune turbidimetry and flow cytometry,respectively,and the correlation between the inflammation index and the degree of CAS was analyzed. Result : The levels of hs-CRP and CD3+/HLA-DR+ in infarction group significantly increased comparing with the control group (P 0.01). In the infarction group,the level of hs-CRP had a positive correlation with CD3+/HLA-DR+(Pearson r=0.408,P0.01).The neutrophil CD64 indices in infarction group were not significantly higher than that in the control group (P0.05).The levels of hs-CRP and CD3+/HLA-DR+ in carotid stenosis group were significantly higher than those in carotid intima thickening group and carotid plaque group . The levels of hs-CRP and CD3+/HLA-DR+ in carotid plaque group were significantly higher than those in carotid intima thickening group. The severity of CAS had significant correlation with the levels of hs-CRP and CD3+/HLA-DR+ ( Spearman rs=0.322,P0.01;Spearman rs=0.387,P0.01). There was no difference among carotid intima thickening group,carotid plaque group and carotid stenosis group. Conclusion : The levels of hs-CRP and CD3+/HLA-DR+ in the peripheral blood of patients with acute cerebral infarction may reflect the severity of CAS,except neutrophil CD64.