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Association between infectious burden and cerebral microbleeds: a pilot cross-sectional study
Fan Fan1,2, Cui Yang2,3,4, Xiaoyan Zhu5
1Department of Neurology, Huanggang Central Hospital, Huanggang, Hubei, China.
Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology
|January 7, 2021
Summary
Increased infectious burden (IB) from common pathogens is linked to cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), a type of small vessel disease. This suggests infections may play a role in CMB development.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Radiology
Background:
- Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are a subtype of cerebral small vessel disease with unclear pathogenesis.
- Investigating potential contributing factors like infectious burden is crucial for understanding CMBs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between infectious burden (IB) and the presence of CMBs.
- To explore the role of common pathogen infections in the pathogenesis of CMBs.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 773 patients hospitalized in Neurology.
- CMBs assessed via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) susceptibility-weighted imaging.
- Immunoglobulin G antibodies against common pathogens (HSV-1, HSV-2, CMV, C. pneumoniae, M. pneumoniae, EBV, HP, B. burgdorferi) measured by ELISA to determine IB.
Main Results:
- Patients with CMBs (n=76) showed a significantly different IB compared to those without CMBs (n=81).
- Increased IB was independently associated with the presence of CMBs (OR=3.00, P=0.031).
- IB positively correlated with the number of CMBs (Spearman ρ=0.653, P<0.001), and inflammatory markers differed between groups.
Conclusions:
- Infectious burden, encompassing infections like HSV-1, HSV-2, CMV, C. pneumoniae, M. pneumoniae, EBV, HP, and B. burgdorferi, is associated with CMBs.
- Findings suggest that pathogen infections may contribute to the pathogenesis of cerebral microbleeds.
