IL-23 and IL-17 in acute ischemic stroke: Correlation with stroke scales and prognostic value

Inflammation plays a crucial role in brain damage following stroke. Here, we evaluate interleukin 23 (IL-23) and interleukin 17 (IL-17) in the inflammatory process and its relations with neurological findings of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Fifty consecutive patients with AIS admitted to our hospital within 24 h of stroke onset were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Serum IL-23 and IL-17 were measured in the first, third and fifth day after the stroke. Neurological stroke severity were determined with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) within 24 h of the acute event, on the third and fifth day after the stroke, and at the time of hospital discharge.

Both neurological scores for stroke outcome at hospital discharge were related to IL-23 protein within 24 h and on the fifth day, but with low stroke outcome predictive values. The other measurements did not show predictive capacity for stroke outcome. There was a significant increase in median serum concentrations of IL-23 on the fifth day (p < 0.001) and in IL-17 median levels on the third day compared to the first 24 h after the acute injury (p < 0.001). However, there was no correlation between IL-23 and IL-17 levels with neurological outcomes at hospital discharge or after four years.

IL-23 and IL-17 increase after stroke, but had no sufficient discriminative capacity to be of clinical use as outcome stroke predictors.