BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays a critical role in severe cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) pathogenesis, but the benefits of anti-inflammatory therapies remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between steroid therapy combined with anticoagulation and the prognosis of acute/subacute severe CVT patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study enrolled patients with acute/subacute severe CVT at Xuanwu Hospital (July 2020-January 2024). Patients were allocated into steroid and non-steroid groups based on the treatment they received. Functional outcomes (modified Rankin scale [mRS]) were evaluated at admission, discharge, and 6 months after discharge. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IL-6, and intracranial pressure were measured at admission and discharge in the steroid group. Fundoscopic Frisén grades were assessed at admission and 6 months after discharge. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluat associations between steroid use and favorable outcomes (mRS ≤2) at the 6-month follow-up. Paired tests assessed changes in hs-CRP and other variables before and after treatment, and Spearman's correlations were used to analyze relationships between these changes and functional improvements. RESULTS: A total of 107 and 58 patients in the steroid and non-steroid groups, respectively, were included in the analysis. Compared with the non-steroid group, the steroid group had a higher likelihood of achieving an mRS score of 0-2 (93.5% vs . 82.5%, odds ratio [OR] = 2.98, P  = 0.037) at the 6-month follow-up. After adjusting for confounding factors, the result remained consistent. Pulsed steroid therapy did not increase mortality during hospitalization or follow-up, nor did it lead to severe steroid-related complications (all P  >0.05). Patients in the steroid group showed a significant reduction in serum hs-CRP, IL-6, CSF IL-6, and intracranial pressure at discharge compared to at admission, as well as a significant reduction in the fundoscopic Frisén grade at the 6-month follow-up compare to at admission (all P  <0.001). A reduction in serum inflammatory marker levels during hospitalization positively correlated with improvements in functional outcomes ( P  <0.05). CONCLUSION: Short-term steroid use may be an effective and safe adjuvant therapy for acute/subacute severe CVT when used alongside standard anticoagulant treatments, which are likely due to suppression of the inflammatory response. However, these findings require further validation in randomized controlled trials. TRAIL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT05990894.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use* ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Intracranial Thrombosis/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Steroids/therapeutic use* ; Venous Thrombosis/drug therapy*

Objective:To determine the reference interval of IL-10 level in cerebrospinal fluid of adults using multiplex bead-based flow fluorescent immunoassay(MBFFI).Methods:A total of 743 patients without tumor were involved and grouped by diagno-sis.Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma IL-10 were tested by MBFFI.Results:①Cerebrospinal fluid IL-10 levels of the central nervous system infection group were higher than those of other groups.②The cranial venous sinus thrombosis(CVST)group without tumor,in-fection or inflammatory disease were chosen as nearly normal population.As the distribution of cerebrospinal fluid IL-10 levels in these 250 CVST patients were skewed,95％cut-off level was chosen as upper limit and cerebrospinal fluid IL-10<3.50 pg/ml was the refer-ence interval.③No correlation was found between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid IL-10 levels in the CVST group.Conclusion:The medical reference interval of cerebrospinal fluid IL-10 by MBFFI in adults are determined in this study,that is<3.50 pg/ml,to pro-vide clinical reference for practical applications.

Objective:To determine the reference interval of IL-10 level in cerebrospinal fluid of adults using multiplex bead-based flow fluorescent immunoassay(MBFFI).Methods:A total of 743 patients without tumor were involved and grouped by diagno-sis.Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma IL-10 were tested by MBFFI.Results:①Cerebrospinal fluid IL-10 levels of the central nervous system infection group were higher than those of other groups.②The cranial venous sinus thrombosis(CVST)group without tumor,in-fection or inflammatory disease were chosen as nearly normal population.As the distribution of cerebrospinal fluid IL-10 levels in these 250 CVST patients were skewed,95％cut-off level was chosen as upper limit and cerebrospinal fluid IL-10<3.50 pg/ml was the refer-ence interval.③No correlation was found between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid IL-10 levels in the CVST group.Conclusion:The medical reference interval of cerebrospinal fluid IL-10 by MBFFI in adults are determined in this study,that is<3.50 pg/ml,to pro-vide clinical reference for practical applications.

The clinical and imaging manifestations of the dural arteriovenous fistula(DAVF)located in the great cerebral vein area with progressive bilateral thalamic edema lack specificity and are easily confused with a variety of diseases.The authors reported a case presented with psychiatric and behavioral abnormalities,followed by bilateral thalamic lesions.Initially,the diagnosis was considered as a glioma of the thalamus,encephalitis and straight sinus thrombosis,but the clinical and imaging findings progressively worsened.Through multi-modal imaging examinations,a DAVF in the great cerebral vein territory was finally diagnosed.By reporting the case and reviewing the literature,this paper aimed to explore the clinical manifestations and imaging features of the disease to reduce the incidence of misdiagnosis.

Objective:To explore the protective role and possible mechanism of neural stem cells combined with edaravone in cortical neurons after oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD-R).Methods:(1) Neural stem cells from brain tissues of SD fetal rats aged 14-16 d were cultured in vitro, and identified with Nestin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) immunofluorescent staining. Expressions of neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN) and β-Tubulin were detected by immunofluorescent staining in primary cortical neurons from SD rats born within 24 h. (2) Primary cortical neurons were divided into normal group (normal culture), OGD-R model group (re-oxygenated culture for 24 h after hypoxia for 1.5 h), OGD-R+neural stem cells group (re-oxygenated co-culture with cortical neurons and neural stem cells for 24 h after hypoxia for 1.5 h), OGD-R+edaravone group (re-oxygenated culture for 24 h after hypoxia for 1.5 h; 100 μmol/L edaravone before hypoxia), OGD-R+neural stem cells+edaravone group (re-oxygenated co-culture with cortical neurons and neural stem cells for 24 h after hypoxia for 1.5 h; 100 μmol/L edaravone before hypoxia); 24 h after each treatment, neuron proliferation in each group was detected by cell counting Kit 8 (CCK8), apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry, contents of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in neuronal supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and real-time quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of Notch1, Hes1 and Hes5, respectively. Results:(1) Immunofluorescent staining results showed that neural stem cells were positive for Nestin, GFAP and MAP2, and cortical neurons were positive for NeuN and β-Tubulin; all of them were successfully identified. (2) Compared with normal group, OGD-R model group, OGD-R+neural stem cell group and OGD-R+edaravone group had decreased neuron viability, increased apoptosis, increased supernatant IL-1β and TNF-α contents, and increased Notch1 mRNA and protein expressions, with significant differences ( P<0.05). Compared with OGD-R model group, OGD-R+neural stem cells+edaravone group had increased neuron viability, decreased apoptosis, decreased supernatant IL-1β and TNF-α contents, and decreased mRNA and protein expressions of Hes1 and Hes5, with significant differences ( P<0.05). Compared with the OGD-R model group, OGD-R+edaravone group and OGD-R+neural stem cell+edaravone group had significantly decreased Notch1 mRNA and protein expressions ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Combination of edaravone and neural stem cell therapy can reverse the neuronal damage caused by OGD-R, whose mechanism may be by inhibiting the expressions of inflammatory factors and key signaling molecules in Notch signaling pathway, such as Notch1, Hes1, and Hes5.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of ultrasonic measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and optical disk elevation (ODE) for intracranial hypertension in patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis(CVST).Methods:A total of 50 patients with CVST who underwent lumbar puncture and ONSD examination in the Department of Neurology and Emergency Department of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. After lumbar puncture, the patient′s initial intracranial pressure was recorded. Normal ICP was defined as ICP between 80 and 200 mmH 2O, and increased ICP was defined as ICP>200 mmH 2O. Fifty patients with CVST were divided into normal ICP group (14 cases) and increased ICP group (36 cases). The differences of baseline data, ONSD and ODE between the two groups were compared, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated. The area under the curve (AUC) and the diagnostic cut-off value of ONSD were analyzed. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between ONSD, ODE, CVST involvement range scores and intracranial pressure. Results:①There were no significant differences in gender, age and body mass index between the normal ICP group and the increased ICP group (all P>0.05). ②The ONSD and ODE in the increased ICP group were higher than those in the normal ICP group, and the differences were statistically significant [(4.83±0.33)mm vs (4.21±0.21)mm, (0.67±0.44)mm vs (0.24±0.29)mm, all P<0.001]. Spearman correlation analysis showed that ONSD and ODE were positively correlated with intracranial pressure ( rs=0.74, 0.51, all P<0.001). ③The extent of CVST involvement in the intracranial hypertension group was higher than that in the normal intracranial pressure group, and the difference was statistically significant [5.0(3.0, 7.5) vs 2.5(2.0, 5.0), P=0.015]. Spearman correlation analysis showed that CVST involvement score was positively correlated with intracranial pressure ( rs=0.43, P<0.001). ④In the diagnosis of intracranial hypertension in patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, the AUC of ONSD was 0.935, the best diagnostic threshold of ONSD was 4.5 mm, the sensitivity was 0.81, and the specificity was 0.93. Conclusions:ONSD and ODE measured by ultrasound are reliable imaging methods to identify intracranial hypertension in patients with CVST.

Objectives To analyze the links of the in-hospital delay by investigating the status of in-hospital delay in patients with acute ischemic stroke in a tertiary hospital in Beijing and to shorten the in-hospital delay by intervention. Methods From August 2016 to July 2017,98 patients with ischemic stroke treated by endovascular therapy and met the inclusion criteria in the Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University were collected prospectively. According to before and after intervention,the patients were divided into before intervention (from August 2016 to January 2017,n=44) and after intervention (from February to July 2017,n=54). The questionnaire was designed by the authors. The survey included the basic information of patients,clinical features,and key time point of hospital treatment process. The delay links were analyzed through the value flow diagram,and the targeted interventions were given to shorten the time of in-hospital delay. Results (1) The main links of the presence of in-hospital delay are physician evaluation,disease notification, signing of the informed consent, and preoperative preparation. ( 2 ) The intervention effect was significant. The median total nosocomial process time before and after intervention were 138. 0 (118. 5,188. 8) min and 93. 5 (80. 0,114. 0) min respectively. There was significant difference(Z=5. 929,P<0. 01). Compared with before intervention,the time of examination,imaging examination, preoperative preparation and femoral artery puncture were shorter ( 16. 5 [ 10. 0, 27. 2 ] min vs. 35. 0 [18. 2,51. 8] min;10. 0 [9. 0,11. 0] min vs. 12. 5 [10. 0,23. 8] min;48. 0 [30. 0,67. 5] min vs. 60. 5 [45. 5,90. 8] min;15. 0 [12. 0,18. 2] min vs. 21. 0 [13. 0,33. 0] min,Z=4. 150,3. 685,2. 801,and 2. 852,respectively;all P<0. 05). Conclusions The nosocomial process of endovascular treatment in patients with ischemic stroke is seriously delayed. Through continuous improvement of the nosocomial process,setting up a parallel treatment modality,strengthening the stroke team training,and improving the docking measures of the information system platform can significantly shorten the in-hospital time.

Objective To investigate the predictive effect of hypersensitive C-reactive protein(Hs-CRP)and neutrophil and lymphocyte ratio(NLR)on the prognosis in young patients with ischemic stroke. Methods From October 2016 to October 2017,110 consecutive young patients(18-45 years old)with ischemic stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology,Xuanwu Hospital,Capital Medical University were enrolled retrospectively. According to the modified Rankin scale(mRS)scores,they were divided into either a good prognosis group(mRS≤2;n=90)or a poor prognosis group(mRS>2;n=20).The patients completed the related examinations within 24 h after admission,including blood routine and Hs-CRP.The NLR value was calculated according to the count of neutrophils and lymphocyte in blood routine.The age,gender,underlying diseases(hypertension,diabetes,hyperlipidemia,hyperhomocysteinemia),histories of smoking and drinking,National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)scores of both groups of patients were documented.The poor prognosis after discharge at 90 d was used as the dependent variable,the independent variables of P<0.05 in univariate analysis were further performed with multivariate logistic regression analysis.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the independent risk factors. The Youden index was calculated and the optimal cut-off value was determined. Results (1)Compared with the good prognosis group,the poor prognosis group had higher NIHSS score,NLR and Hs-CRP at admission.The differences between the 2 groups were statistically significant(9.0[4.5,13.0]vs.2.5[2.0,4.0],2.97[2.31,4.20]vs.2.13[1.76,2.70],4.65 [2.70,9.52]mg/L vs.2.06[0.87,4.54]mg/L;all P<0.05).There were no significant differences in other baseline data and clinical characteristics between the two groups(all P>0.05).(2)The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the high level of Hs-CRP(OR,1.086,95%CI 1.009-1.169)and higher NIHSS score(OR,1.487,95%CI 1.229-1.797)at admission were the independent risk factors for poor prognosis(all P < 0. 05),and there was no significant relation between NLR and prognosis(P>0.05).(3)The area under the ROC curve of the Hs-CRP levels at admission was 0.722(95%CI 0.591-0.853,P=0.002).When the predictive value of Hs-CRP level at admission was 3.365 mg/L,the maximum Youden index was 0.367,its corresponding sensitivity was 70.0%and specificity was 66.7%. Conclusions The higher Hs-CRP level and NIHSS score at admission may independently predict the poor prognosis of young patients with ischemic stroke at 90 d after discharge to a certain extent.It is not appropriate to use Hs-CRP≥3.365 mg/L alone for poor prognosis screening,but NLR may not be associated with the prognosis at admission.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of liver injury related to edaravone in treating patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods Among the AIS patients treated with edaravone in Vascular Surgery ICU of Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University from January 2014 to October 2017,9 patients were diagnosed as having liver injury associated with edaravone by active monitoring. The total number of patients treated with edaravone at the same period in Vascular Surgery ICU were obtained from the hospital information system and the incidence of liver injury associated with edaravone was calculated. The clinical data of the 9 patients were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Results The incidence of liver injury associated with edaravone was 8.7% (9/103 ). The 9 patients included 6 males and 3 females. The age of the patients was 52-83 years and their average age was (65 ± 6)years. The time for the occurrence of liver injury was 3-9 days and the average time was (6 ± 2)days. The main manifestations of liver injury were increase of alanine aminotransferase (9 cases),aspartic aminotransferase (7 cases),alkaline phosphatase (4 cases),total bilirubin (2 cases),and accompanied by rash in 1 case. Using RUCAM scale,7 patients were classified as ＂highly probable＂ and 2 patients were classified as＂probable＂. Using ＂Grade of DILI severity＂＂ standard,all the 9 patients were diagnosed as ＂mild liver injury＂. After 4-13 days of edaravone withdrawal,8 patients had normal liver function and 1 case improved. Conclusions Edaravone might cause liver injury,mainly manifesting liver dysfunction. The degree of liver injury was mild,and the prognosis was good after timely intervention.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of liver injury related to edaravone in treating patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods Among the AIS patients treated with edaravone in Vascular Surgery ICU of Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University from January 2014 to October 2017,9 patients were diagnosed as having liver injury associated with edaravone by active monitoring. The total number of patients treated with edaravone at the same period in Vascular Surgery ICU were obtained from the hospital information system and the incidence of liver injury associated with edaravone was calculated. The clinical data of the 9 patients were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Results The incidence of liver injury associated with edaravone was 8.7% (9/103 ). The 9 patients included 6 males and 3 females. The age of the patients was 52-83 years and their average age was (65 ± 6)years. The time for the occurrence of liver injury was 3-9 days and the average time was (6 ± 2)days. The main manifestations of liver injury were increase of alanine aminotransferase (9 cases),aspartic aminotransferase (7 cases),alkaline phosphatase (4 cases),total bilirubin (2 cases),and accompanied by rash in 1 case. Using RUCAM scale,7 patients were classified as ＂highly probable＂ and 2 patients were classified as＂probable＂. Using ＂Grade of DILI severity＂＂ standard,all the 9 patients were diagnosed as ＂mild liver injury＂. After 4-13 days of edaravone withdrawal,8 patients had normal liver function and 1 case improved. Conclusions Edaravone might cause liver injury,mainly manifesting liver dysfunction. The degree of liver injury was mild,and the prognosis was good after timely intervention.