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Published on: February 12, 2016
Circulating Interleukin-6 Levels and Timing of Acute Ischemic Stroke Onset
Robert G Kowalski1,2, Aurélie Ledreux1, John E Violette3
1Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Intravenous thrombolysis is the most widely available effective ischemic stroke treatment, but is approved only if given within 4.5 h from stroke onset. Many patients are not treated because stroke onset time is unknown. We evaluated the cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) in circulating blood after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Results show IL-6 is elevated as early as 26 min after stroke and increases over 24 h. The IL-6 levels can estimate when the stroke occurred with 80% sensitivity and 74% specificity. With refinement, a point-of-care blood test for IL-6 during stroke could substantially increase the number of stroke patients eligible for thrombolysis.
Intravenous thrombolysis is the most widely available effective ischemic stroke treatment, but is approved only if given within 4.5 h from stroke onset. Many patients are not treated because stroke onset time is unknown. We evaluated the cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) in circulating blood after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Results show IL-6 is elevated as early as 26 min after stroke and increases over 24 h. The IL-6 levels can estimate when the stroke occurred with 80% sensitivity and 74% specificity. With refinement, a point-of-care blood test for IL-6 during stroke could substantially increase the number of stroke patients eligible for thrombolysis.
