Blood biomarker changes following therapeutic hypothermia in ischemic stroke

Therapeutic hypothermia is a promising candidate for stroke treatment although its efficacy has not yet been demonstrated in patients. Changes in blood molecules could act as surrogate markers to evaluate the efficacy and safety of therapeutic cooling.

Blood samples from 54 patients included in the EuroHYP-1 study (27 treated with hypothermia, and 27 controls) were obtained at baseline, 24 ± 2 h, and 72 ± 4 h. The levels of a panel of 27 biomarkers, including matrix metalloproteinases and cardiac and inflammatory markers, were measured.

Metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), fatty-acid-binding protein (FABP), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) increased over time in relation to the hypothermia treatment. Statistically significant correlations between the minimum temperature achieved by each patient in the hypothermia group and the MMP-3 level measured at 72 h, FABP level measured at 24 h, and IL-8 levels measured at 24 and 72 h were found. No differential biomarker levels were observed in patients with poor or favorable outcomes according to modified Rankin Scale scores.

Although the exact roles of MMP3, FABP, and IL-8 in hypothermia-treated stroke patients are not known, further exploration is needed to confirm their roles in brain ischemia.