Drug-eluting stents versus bare-metal stents for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: In-stent restenosis (ISR) is the primary cause of stroke recurrence after intracranial stenting. Drug-eluting stents (DES) have recently shown great potential for reducing restenosis. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DES compared with bare-metal stents (BMS) for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS).

PTP1B Modulates Carotid Plaque Vulnerability in Atherosclerosis Through Rab5-PDGFRβ-Mediated Endocytosis Disruption and Apoptosis.

Background: Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a protein tyrosine phosphatase and modulates platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)/platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) via endocytosis. However, the related molecular pathways that participated in the interaction of endo-lysosome and the trafficking of PDGFR are largely unknown. This study aims to determine the subcellular regulating mechanism of PTP1B to the endo-lysosome degradation of PDGFR in atherosclerotic carotid plaques, thereby offering a potential therapeutic target for the stabilization of carotid plaques.

Stenting for symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis with different qualifying arteries: a preplanned pooled individual patient data analysis.

Background: The efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) relative to medical management in treating symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) varies based on the qualifying artery. This study aims to evaluate PTAS compared with medical therapy alone in cases of ICAS involving the internal carotid artery (ICA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), vertebral artery (VA) and basilar artery (BA).

Methods: This study involves a thorough pooled analysis of individual patient data from two randomised controlled trials, evaluating the efficacy of PTAS in comparison to medical management for symptomatic ICAS with different qualifying arteries.

Impact of Manual Sustained Inflation vs Stepwise PEEP on Pulmonary and Cerebral Outcomes in Carotid Endarterectomy Patients.

BACKGROUND Recruitment maneuvers (RMs) are used to reduce pulmonary atelectasis in patients under general anesthesia, but they can lead to a decrease in cerebral hemodynamics. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were randomized to a manual sustained inflation (SI) group or a stepwise increase in PEEP (IP) group. During both RMs, the peak airway pressure (Ppeak) was maintained at 30 cmH₂O for 30 s.

Stenting versus medical treatment alone for symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis: a preplanned pooled individual patient data analysis.

Background: Whether the safety and efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) is significantly different from that of medical treatment alone for symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) is debatable. A study was undertaken to determine the safety and efficacy of both treatments for symptomatic ICAS.

Methods: This preplanned pooled individual patient data analysis included 400 participants treated with PTAS and 409 treated with medical treatment alone in two large multicenter randomized clinical trials (SAMMPRIS and CASSISS).

Carotid revascularisation versus medical treatment for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To compare the safety and efficacy of carotid revascularisation plus best medical treatment with best medical treatment alone in people with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

Anatomical predispositions for silent cerebral infarction post carotid artery stenting: A retrospective cohort.

Background: Silent cerebral infarction (SCI) that manifests following carotid artery stenting (CAS) has been postulated to correlate with cognitive decline, the onset of dementia, and an increased risk of subsequent cerebrovascular events. This investigation aimed to thoroughly examine the potential anatomical predispositions that are linked to the occurrence of SCI post-CAS, and further develop a predictive nomogram that could accurately forecast the risk of SCI post-CAS.

Methods: The present investigation conducted a retrospective examination of datasets from 250 individuals presenting with carotid artery stenosis who had been subjected to CAS within a tertiary healthcare institution from June 2020 to November 2021.

In Vivo Classification and Characterization of Carotid Atherosclerotic Lesions with Integrated F-FDG PET/MRI.

Background: The aim of this study was to exploit integrated PET/MRI to simultaneously evaluate the morphological, component, and metabolic features of advanced atherosclerotic plaques and explore their incremental value.

Methods: In this observational prospective cohort study, patients with advanced plaque in the carotid artery underwent F-FDG PET/MRI. Plaque morphological features were measured, and plaque component features were determined via MRI according to AHA lesion-types.

Systemic-inflammatory indices and clinical outcomes in patients with anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke undergoing successful endovascular thrombectomy.

Background: There is a lack of comprehensive profile assessment on complete blood count (CBC)-derived systemic-inflammatory indices, and their correlations with clinical outcome in patients with anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who achieved successful recanalization by endovascular thrombectomy (EVT).

Methods: Patients with anterior circulation AIS caused by large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO) were retrospectively screened from December 2018 to December 2022. Systemic-inflammatory indices including ratios of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR), and platelet-to-neutrophil (PNR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and aggregate inflammation systemic index (AISI) on admission and the first day post-EVT were calculated.

Impact of immediate postrecanalization cooling on outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients with a large ischemic core: prospective cohort study.

Background: Patients with large acute ischemic strokes (AIS) often have a poor prognosis despite successful recanalization due to multiple factors including reperfusion injury. The authors aim to describe our preliminary experience of endovascular cooling in patients with a large AIS after recanalization.

Methods: From January 2021 to July 2022, AIS patients presenting with large infarcts (defined as ASPECTS ≤5 on noncontrast CT or ischemic core ≥50 ml on CT perfusion) who achieved successful recanalization after endovascular treatment were analyzed in a prospective registry.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Ischemic Stroke Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Introduction: Previous studies have reported controversial relationships between circulating vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) and ischemic stroke (IS). This study aims to demonstrate the causal effect between VEGF and IS using Mendelian randomization (MR).

Methods: Summary statistics data from two large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 16,112 patients with measured VEGF levels and 40,585 patients with IS were downloaded from public databases and included in this study.

ROS-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis.

Various signaling pathways are regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are radical oxygen intermediates under normal physiological conditions. However, when the buffering capacity of antioxidant enzymes is exceeded by the accumulation of ROS, oxidative stress, and endothelial cell dysfunction occur, which have been recognized as key contributors to the development of atherosclerosis. In this review, an overview is provided on mechanisms underlying ROS generation in endothelial cells and the involved regulatory pathways.

eIF2α-mediated integrated stress response links multiple intracellular signaling pathways to reprogram vascular smooth muscle cell fate in carotid artery plaque.

Background: Carotid arterial atherosclerotic stenosis is a well-recognized pathological basis of ischemic stroke; however, its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play fundamental roles in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Organelle dynamics have been reported to affect atherosclerosis development.

PCSK9 increases vulnerability of carotid plaque by promoting mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells.

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has been recognized as a novel lipid-lowing target. Recent clinical studies suggested the value of inhibiting PCSK9 in decreasing the vulnerability of coronary plaques. However, the evidence of PCSK9-regulated evolution of unstable carotid plaques is unclear, which has limited the use of PCSK9 inhibitor in carotid plaques.

Alterations of Hemostatic Molecular Markers During Acute Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke.

Background: This study aimed to investigate regional levels of TAT (thrombin-antithrombin complex), PIC (plasmin-α2 plasmin inhibitor complex), t-PAIC (tissue plasminogen activator-plasminogen activator inhibitor complex), sTM (soluble thrombomodulin), and D-dimer, along with their associations with clinical and procedural characteristics in patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively analyzed 166 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke (62±11.54 years of age, 34.

Explore the role of long noncoding RNAs and mRNAs in intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis: From the perspective of neutrophils.

Context: Circulating neutrophils and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play various roles in intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS).

Objective: Our study aimed to detect differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and mRNAs in circulating neutrophils and explore the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis from the perspective of neutrophils.

Methods: Nineteen patients with ICAS and 15 healthy controls were enrolled.

Evolution pattern estimated by computed tomography perfusion post-thrombectomy predicts outcome in acute ischemic stroke.

Objectives: Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) have been recommended to select acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) but are not widely used for post-treatment evaluation. We aimed to observe abnormalities in CTP and CTA before and after EVT and evaluate post-EVT CTP and CTA as potential tools for improving clinical outcome prediction.

Methods: Patients with AIS who underwent EVT and received CTP and CTA before and after EVT were retrospectively evaluated.

Exosomes From IgE-Stimulated Mast Cells Aggravate Asthma-Mediated Atherosclerosis Through circRNA CDR1as-Mediated Endothelial Cell Dysfunction in Mice.

Background: IgE has been known for mediating endothelial cell dysfunction and mast cell (MC) activation to fuel asthma-aggravated high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis. However, it remains unclear for the mechanism of asthma-mediated atherosclerosis, especially the potential involvement of IgE in the exacerbation of asthma-mediated atherosclerosis with a standard laboratory diet, and the cross talk between endothelial cells and MCs.

Methods: Asthma-mediated atherosclerosis mice models under a standard laboratory diet and FcεR1 knock-out mice were used to determine the role of IgE-FcεR1 signaling in asthma-mediated atherosclerosis, which was assessed by Oil Red O staining and immunohistochemistry.