Differential expression of Semaphorin-7A /CD163-positive macrophages in large artery and cardiogenic stroke

Yi Jiang1, Zhichao Sun2, Zhonglin Ge3

  • 1Department of Geriatrics, Bengbu Medical College Clinical College of Lianyungang Second People's Hospital, Lianyungang, 222000, China.

BMC Neurology
|February 19, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Cardioembolic (CE) stroke thrombi show higher Semaphorin-7A (Sema7A) levels than large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) thrombi. Both Sema7A and CD163 correlate with poor prognosis in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Differentiating causes of stroke, such as cardioembolism (CE) and large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA), is crucial for treatment and prognosis.
  • Thrombus composition analysis may reveal underlying etiological differences.
  • Semaphorin-7A (Sema7A) and CD163 are potential biomarkers of interest in stroke pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare Semaphorin-7A (Sema7A) and CD163 levels in thrombi from patients with CE versus LAA stroke.
  • To investigate the association of Sema7A and CD163 with stroke severity, hemorrhagic transformation, and prognosis.

Main Methods:

  • Thrombi were collected from 67 patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy.
  • Patients were classified into large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) and cardioembolic (CE) groups.
  • Levels of Sema7A and CD163 were measured and correlated with clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Semaphorin-7A (Sema7A) expression was significantly higher in CE thrombi compared to LAA thrombi (p < 0.001).
  • No significant difference in CD163 levels was observed between the groups.
  • Sema7A and CD163 were independently associated with poor stroke prognosis (p=0.005 and p=0.03, respectively), but not with stroke severity or hemorrhagic transformation.

Conclusions:

  • CE-related thrombi demonstrate elevated Semaphorin-7A (Sema7A) levels.
  • Increased Sema7A and CD163 levels are linked to a poorer prognosis in acute ischemic stroke patients.
Abstract