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Isolation and Flow Cytometric Assessment of Neuroimmune Interactions in a Mini-Stroke Murine Model
Published on: June 20, 2025
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Long-term immune cell profiling in stroke patients with or without infections
Nina Vindegaard Sørensen1, Henrik Hasseldam2, Flemming Fryd Johansen2
1Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark.
The International Journal of Neuroscience
|July 6, 2022
Summary
Infections after stroke significantly alter immune cell counts, with elevated neutrophils and C-reactive protein persisting for weeks in infected patients. Lymphocyte levels remained depressed, particularly in those with infections, suggesting a need for further research into immune restoration therapies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Infections are common after acute ischemic stroke, potentially worsening brain damage through immune system alterations.
- Understanding long-term immune responses in stroke patients with and without infections is crucial for patient recovery and outcome.
- Peripheral inflammatory markers provide insights into the body's immune status post-stroke.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare long-term immune responses in acute ischemic stroke patients who developed infections versus those who did not.
- To profile clinically relevant inflammatory parameters from stroke onset up to 49 days.
- To investigate the relationship between infection status and immune cell kinetics after stroke.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 34 acute ischemic stroke patients, divided into two groups (17 infected, 17 uninfected).
- Evaluation of infection status and peripheral inflammatory response evolution.
- Longitudinal monitoring of neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, total leukocytes, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed an initial increase in neutrophils and monocytes, and a decrease in lymphocytes.
- Uninfected patients' neutrophil and monocyte counts returned to normal within 20-30 days, unlike infected patients.
- Infected patients exhibited significantly higher neutrophils, leukocytes, and CRP levels (p < 0.01).
- Lymphocyte counts remained depressed in infected patients, while slowly normalizing in uninfected patients.
- Uninfected patients showed a decline in leukocytes, neutrophils, and monocytes from day 0 to 49 (p < 0.05), with no similar changes in infected patients.
Conclusions:
- Immune cell numbers are significantly disturbed for weeks post-stroke, irrespective of infection.
- Infected stroke patients display higher levels of neutrophils, leukocytes, and CRP.
- The sustained depression of lymphocytes, especially in infected patients, warrants further investigation for potential therapeutic interventions to restore immune function and improve outcomes.
