Secondary white matter injury after ischemic stroke refers to the secondary changes in the white matter structure outside the infarct site that are not directly damaged after stroke, often involving key connecting areas such as the corpus callosum and contralateral internal capsule. This injury is closely associated with post-stroke cognitive impairment, motor dysfunction, and language disorders, which affects the long-term outcome. Its pathophysiological mechanisms mainly include immune and inflammatory imbalance, excitotoxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction, blood-brain barrier damage, axonal injury, and remyelination disorder. Exploring these mechanisms in depth can help promote early diagnosis and intervention of secondary white matter damage after ischemic stroke, provide theoretical basis for the development of targeted treatment strategies, and promote functional recovery in patients with stroke.

Recent studies have shown that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can influence the incidence, outcome, and recurrence risk of ischemic stroke independently of traditional risk factors. This article reviews the relationship, related mechanisms, and treatment decisions between NAFLD and ischemic stroke, in order to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Endovascular treatment is a highly effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke.Cerebral arterial collateral circulation has traditionally been recognized as a significant factor in making endovascular treatment decisions and predicting clinical outcomes.However,recent studies indicated that cerebral venous collateral circulation was also crucial for the clinical outcomes of stroke patients.Venous collaterals not only provide perfusion for cerebral blood flow but also correlate with multiple outcomes including clinical prognosis,early neurological deterioration,futile recanalization,hemorrhagic transformation,and cerebral edema formation.The authors summarized the research progress of cerebral venous collateral evaluation in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke,and explored the potential mechanisms and clinical applications,aiming to provide new perspectives on stroke prevention and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) level and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in healthy population.Methods:Consecutive healthy individuals underwent routine physical examinations at the Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital Affiliated to Medical School of Nanjing University (April 2023 to December 2023) and Hexi Branch of Nanjing First Hospital (March 2024 to April 2024) were included prospectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum PCSK9 level. The Fazekas scale was used to assess the severity of WMHs (total score 0-6) and they were divided into no or mild WMHs group (0-2) and moderate to severe WMHs group (3-6). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlation between the serum PCSK9 level and the severity of WMHs. Results:A total of 177 subjects were enrolled, including 110 males (62.1%), aged 66.7±10.1 years. The median serum PCSK9 level was 203.9 ng/L. According to the Fazekas score, there were 102 patients (51.6%) in the no or mild WMHs group, and 75 (42.4%) in the moderate to severe WMHs group. One way analysis of variance showed that serum PCSK9 level significantly increased with the increase of WMHs total score ( P=0.001). The serum PCSK9 level in the moderate to severe WMHs group was significantly higher than that in the no or mild WMHs group (437.2±260.4 ng/L vs. 217.9±141.7 ng/L; P=0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, gender, and other confounding factors, there was a significant independent correlation between higher serum PCSK9 level and moderate to severe WMHs (odds ratio 3.201, 95% confidence interval 2.107-5.082; P=0.001). Conclusion:Higher serum PCSK9 level is an independent risk factor for moderate to severe WMHs in healthy individuals.

Objective:To investigate the effect of insular involvement on the outcomes of patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke.Methods:Patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively included. Demographic data, vascular risk factors, clinical and laboratory data, as well as treatment and outcomes were collected. Firstly, the correlation between the insular involvement and the outcomes was investigated, and then the bootstrap method was used to clarify the mediating role of infarct volume between the insular involvement and the poor outcomes.Results:A total of 450 patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke were enrolled, among whom 79 cases (17.6%) had insular involvement and 41 (9.1%) had left insular involvement. There were 111 (24.7%) with poor outcomes, including 5 (1.1%) died. Compared to the non-insular involvement group, the insular involvement group had a higher proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation, shorter onset to door time, higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission, larger infarct volume, and higher proportion of patients with poor outcomes (all P<0.05). In addition, patients with left insular involvement were younger than those with right insular involvement, had a higher baseline NIHSS score, a lower proportion of patients with minor stroke (NIHSS score ≤8), and had a longer onset to door time (all P<0.05). Compared to the good outcome group, the poor outcome group was older, with a higher proportion of female patients, higher systolic blood pressure, blood glucose, NLR, and NIHSS scores at admission, larger infarct volume, and a higher proportion of patients with insular involvement (all P<0.05). Mediation analysis suggested that the mediating effect of infarct volume between the insular involvement and the poor outcomes was significant (95% confidence interval 0.033-0.230; P=0.008). Conclusions:insular involvement in patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke is associated with the poor outcomes, and this association may be mediated by infarct volume. Patients with left insular involvement may have more severe symptoms than those with right insular involvement, but there is no significant difference in the outcomes.

Objective:To explore the prognostic prediction value of quantitative digital subtraction angiography (DSA) parameters in patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke undergoing mechanical thrombectomy, and whether the clinical values vary by stroke etiology.Methods:This study was a post hoc analysis of the Multicenter Prospective Captor Trial. Patients with acute anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion and successful recanalization from April 2018 to July 2019 were screened. Post-processing analysis was performed on the DSA imaging sequence after recanalization, and 4 regions of interest (ROI) were selected in the target vessel: ROI1 (the proximal of the internal carotid artery-C2 segment), ROI2 (the starting point of the internal carotid artery-C7 segment), ROI3 (the end of the middle cerebral artery-M1 segment), and ROI4 (the end of the middle cerebral artery-M2 segment). Time to peak (TTP) was defined as the time at contrast concentration of selected ROI reached its maximum. Relative TTP (rTTP) was calculated by subtracting the TTP of ROI1 from the TTP of distalis ROIs. Successful recanalization was defined as modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) grade≥2b. Favorable outcomes at 3 months were defined as the modified Rankin Scale score≤2. According to the modified Rankin Scale score, the patients were divided into good prognosis group and poor prognosis group. The differences in clinical characteristics, postoperative hemodynamic parameters, and other data were compared between patients with good and poor prognoses. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze factors related to a good prognosis. Finally, the prognostic prediction value of hemodynamic parameters was analyzed in patients with different Trial of Org10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment etiological classifications.Results:A total of 245 patients were collected, of which 161 patients [age 69 (60, 76) years, 92 (57.1%) male] were finally included in the analysis, including 36 cases of large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) stroke, 76 cases of cardiogenic embolism (CE), and 49 cases of other causes of stroke. Seventy-one (44.1%) patients had favorable outcomes at 3 months. The post-operative hemodynamic analysis indicated that patients with favorable outcomes ( n=71) had a higher proportion of mTICI grade 3 [54/71 (76.1%) vs 41/90 (45.6%),χ 2=15.26, P<0.001] and lower rTTP 31 [means TTP ROI3-TTP ROI1;0.33 (0.23, 0.54) s vs 0.47 (0.31, 0.65) s, Z=-2.71, P=0.007] than patients with unfavorable outcomes ( n=90). The mTICI score and rTTP 31 were respectively included in multivariate Logistic regression models. It was shown that mTICI grade 3 (adjusted OR=5.97, 95% CI 2.49-14.27, P<0.001) and rTTP 31 (adjusted OR=0.24, 95% CI 0.06-0.99, P=0.048) were significantly associated with favorable outcomes, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the models had no statistically significant difference ( P=0.170). Subgroup analysis showed that rTTP 31 was significantly associated with the prognosis of patients with LAA stroke ( OR=0, 95% CI 0-0.25, P=0.014), while mTICI grade was associated with the prognosis of patients with CE ( OR=3.91, 95% CI 1.40-10.91, P=0.009) and other etiologies ( OR=7.35, 95% CI 1.92-28.14, P=0.004). Conclusions:In patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke and successful recanalization, both mTICI score and rTTP 31 had significant predictive value for favorable outcomes at 3 months. Moreover, rTTP 31 was significantly associated with the prognosis of patients with LAA stroke, while mTICI score was significantly related to the prognosis of patients with CE and other causes of stroke.

Compared with the traditional transfemoral approach, the transradial approach (TRA) can be used as a new alternative approach in the diagnosis and treatment of neurointervention, and has more advantages in reducing access site complications, improving the comfort of patients, shortening the length of hospital stay, and reducing the overall medical costs, so it has attracted clinical attention. This article mainly reviews the application of TRA in the field of neurointerventional diagnosis and treatment, as well as its advantages, complications and other aspects, and puts forward its application prospects in the field of neurointerventional diagnosis and treatment, so as to provide reference for the development of this technology in the field of neurointerventional diagnosis and treatment and further research in this field.

Objective:To investigate the value of net water uptake (NWU) for predicting early neurological improvement (ENI) after endovascular treatment in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke.Methods:A case-control study. A total of 132 patients (80 men, 52 women, median age 68 years) with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke receiving endovascular treatment were retrospectively analyzed at Jinling Hospital from October 2014 to September 2019. Patients were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of ENI, which was defined as either an improvement of NIHSS score of ≥4 points, or an NIHSS score of 0 or 1 at 24 hours after endovascular treatment. The rank sum test, Chi square test, and other methods were used to compare differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate independent predictors of postoperative ENI. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis used to assess the capacity of NWU to predict ENI.Results:Of the 132 patients in the study, ENI occurred in 47 and did not occur in 85. In multivariate logistic regression analysis age [odds ratio ( OR)=0.940, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.903-0.979, P=0.003], time from stroke onset to puncture ( OR=0.995, 95% CI 0.991-0.999, P=0.025), time from puncture to recanalization/end of operation ( OR=0.985, 95% CI 0.974-0.996, P=0.007), NWU ( OR=0.762, 95% CI 0.620-0.937, P=0.010), and mTICI ( OR=1.644, 95% CI 1.043-2.590, P=0.032) were predictive factors for ENI. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that NWU could effectively predict ENI (area under the curve=0.642, 95% CI 0.543-0.741, P=0.007), and prediction accuracy was improved when it was combined with other clinical parameters. Conclusion:NWU is an independent predictor of ENI in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke undergoing endovascular treatment.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between the lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) level and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in patients with ischemic stroke.Methods:Consecutive patients with ischemic stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University from September 2021 to November 2021 and whose duration from onset to hospitalization <14 d were prospectively enrolled. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the serum LCN-2. Fazekas scale was used to assess the severity of periventricular and subcortical WMHs. A total WMHs score ≥3 was defined as severe WMHs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the correlation between serum LCN-2 level and WMHs. Results:A total of 179 patients were enrolled, including 122 males (68.2%), aged 64.7±11.6 years. The median serum LCN-2 level was 387.1 g/L, and 86 patients (48.0%) had severe WMHs. Serum LCN-2 in the severe WMH group was significantly higher than that in the non-severe WMH group (505.3±342.4 g/L vs. 367.8±224.5 g/L; t=3.110, P=0.002). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for the relevant confounding factors, there was a significant correlation between higher serum LCN-2 and severe WMHs (odds ratio 2.32, 95% confidence interval 1.17-4.63; P=0.017) and higher total WMHs score (odds ratio 1.62, 95% confidence interval 1.12-2.35; P=0.011). Conclusion:Higher serum LCN-2 level is associated with severe WMHs in patients with ischemic stroke.

Intracranial artery stenosis is the main cause of ischemic stroke in China. Because of the high recurrence rate of stroke in these patients, the selected patients may benefit from interventional therapy. Therefore, risk stratification and evaluation of intracranial artery stenosis are helpful to determine the clinical treatment plan. High resolution magnetic resonance imaging can clearly show the characteristics of intracranial vascular wall, which is helpful to comprehensively evaluate intracranial vessels. This article reviews the characteristics of vulnerable plaque of intracranial atherosclerosis, the pathogenesis of stroke and the clinical application of high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging in intracranial artery stenosis.