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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Composition in Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions of Smooth Muscle Cell Lineage-Tracing Mice
Published on: February 20, 2019
Relation between interleukin-6 level and subclinical intracranial large-artery atherosclerosis
Taku Hoshi1, Kazuo Kitagawa, Hiroshi Yamagami
1Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Division of Stroke Research, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. thoshi@medone.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Background:
The levels of systemic inflammatory markers have been shown to predict future cardiovascular events, but whether they are associated with intracranial large-artery atherosclerosis is uncertain. We investigated the relation between the level of inflammatory markers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and subclinical intracranial large-artery atherosclerosis in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis.
Methods:
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was performed in 226 Japanese patients age range, 45-87 years without a history of cerebrovascular disease. Serum IL-6 and hsCRP and conventional risk factors for atherosclerosis were assessed.
Results:
Forty-six patients (20.4%) were found by MRA to have one or more intracranial steno-occlusive lesions. Mean IL-6 levels were higher in patients with intracranial large-artery atherosclerosis than in those without. In addition, patients in the highest IL-6 tertile had higher unadjusted odds ratio (OR) for intracranial large-artery atherosclerosis than that of those in the lowest tertile (OR 3.25, 95% CI; 1.42-7.39). These associations were only slightly attenuated upon adjustment for conventional atherosclerotic risk factors and carotid intima-media thickness.
Conclusions:
Increased levels of IL-6 appear to be associated with intracranial large-artery disease, suggesting a role for the inflammatory process in atherosclerosis of intracranial large arteries.
