Atrial Cardiopathy Biomarkers and MRI-Based Infarct Patterns in Patients with Embolic Strokes of Undetermined Source

The study aimed to investigate whether N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration and/or left atrial volume index (LAVI), as atrial cardiopathy biomarkers, were associated with infarct patterns on diffusion-weighted imaging in patients with embolic strokes of undetermined source (ESUS).

We retrospectively evaluated patient with ESUS from our stroke registry between January 2018 and November 2019. Cut-off values for atrial cardiopathy biomarkers were defined as >250 pg/mL for NT-proBNP and >34 mL/m² for LAVI. Eligible patients were then assigned to 3 groups and infarct patterns were compared according to their atrial cardiopathy markers: Group 1 (no atrial cardiopathy markers), Group 2 (one marker), and Group 3 (both markers).

Among 194 eligible patients with ESUS (76 women; mean age, 69.2 years), simultaneous increases of NT-proBNP concentration and LAVI were identified in 39 (20.1%). Group 3 had a significantly larger infarct volume, relative to Group 1 and Group 2 (P=0.043) Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that these patients (Group 3) were significantly more likely to have multi-territorial infarcts (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-8.72; P=0.04), a maximal lesion diameter >15mm (aOR: 4.51, 95% CI: 1.70-11.93; P=0.001), and large cortical infarctions (aOR: 4.17, 95% CI: 1.75-9.96; P=0.001).

We found that simultaneously increased values for NT-proBNP concentration and LAVI were independently associated with multi-territorial and large cortical infarct patterns in patients with ESUS. These findings suggest that NT-proBNP and LAVI may be useful biomarkers for identifying cardioembolic subtypes and guiding treatment selection in patients with ESUS.