Systemic Inflammatory Markers and Intracranial Atherosclerosis: Road to Nowhere? A Meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cardiovascular Research
• Inflammation Biology

Background:

• Intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is a significant global cause of stroke, particularly in Asian populations.
• The role of systemic inflammation in ICAS is not well-defined, unlike its established role in extracranial atherosclerosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between systemic inflammatory markers and the presence of ICAS.
• To assess the association between systemic inflammatory markers and ICAS progression.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis of 12 studies involving 19,674 patients was conducted.
• Systemic inflammatory biomarkers, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), were analyzed.
• Random-effects models were used to estimate effect sizes for ICAS presence.

Main Results:

• A negligible effect size was found between ICAS presence and both hs-CRP and NLR.
• The association between CRP and ICAS presence showed uncertainty in effect size.
• ICAS progression could not be analyzed due to insufficient data.

Conclusions:

• Elevated systemic inflammatory biomarkers do not appear to increase ICAS presence.
• The findings question the significant role of systemic inflammation in ICAS pathophysiology.
• Further multicenter, prospective studies are required to elucidate the role of inflammation in ICAS progression.