Dynamic changes of inflammatory markers in brain after hemorrhagic stroke in humans: a postmortem study

This histopathologic case-control study was designed to characterize the dynamic changes in protein expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB)/p65 subunit, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in postmortem brains of patients with and without intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Thirty-six human brains from patients with ICH and six control brains were included in this study. We found that expression levels of NF-kappaB/p65, MIP-2, and MMP-9 were each upregulated on the injured side of the hippocampus at times ranging from 2h to 5days post-ICH. Interestingly, the expression of all three markers was also upregulated on the uninjured side of the hippocampus and in the cerebellum, although to a lesser extent. These data suggest that inflammation occurs early and persists for several days after ICH in humans and could be involved in the progression of ICH-induced secondary brain damage.