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Association of Myeloperoxidase and Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor With Intracranial Atherosclerosis Presence
Ziqian Xu1,2, Luyan Wang1,2, Xueli Cai3,4
1Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Capital Medical University Beijing China.
Insights
Elevated myeloperoxidase and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor are linked to intracranial atherosclerosis and plaque progression. This suggests neutrophil-driven inflammation plays a key role in cerebrovascular disease.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiovascular Research
- Inflammation Studies
Background:
- Myeloperoxidase (MPO) may destabilize plaques.
- Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) can worsen inflammation.
- Investigating their role in intracranial atherosclerosis is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between MPO and G-CSF levels and intracranial artery plaque, stenosis, atherosclerotic burden, and plaque progression.
- To understand the link between these biomarkers and cerebrovascular disease.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 3059 participants from the PRECISE study in China.
- Assessment of intracranial artery plaque, stenosis, and burden using 3.0-T MRI.
- Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models to evaluate biomarker associations.
Main Results:
- Higher MPO levels showed linear associations with intracranial artery plaque, stenosis, and atherosclerotic burden.
- MPO was linked to plaque progression over follow-up periods.
- While continuous G-CSF showed no significant association, its highest tertile correlated with baseline plaque and burden.
Conclusions:
- Elevated MPO and G-CSF levels are associated with intracranial atherosclerosis.
- These biomarkers are linked to plaque progression over approximately 4.7 years.
- Findings highlight the role of neutrophil-driven inflammation in intracranial atherosclerosis.
Background:
Myeloperoxidase may promote plaque instability, while granulocyte colony-stimulating factor may aggravate inflammation. We investigated their associations with intracranial artery plaque, stenosis, atherosclerotic burden, and plaque progression.
Methods:
This analysis included 3059 participants from the PRECISE (Polyvascular Evaluation for Cognitive Impairment and Vascular Events) study in China. Intracranial artery plaque, stenosis, and intracranial atherosclerotic burden were assessed using 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging at baseline (2017-2019) and 2 follow-ups (2019-2022 and 2022-2024). Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were used to evaluate associations between biomarkers and intracranial atherosclerosis.
Results:
Participants had a median age of 61 years, and 53.4% were women. Restricted cubic spline analyses indicated linear associations of higher myeloperoxidase and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor levels with intracranial atherosclerosis. Each 1-SD increase in myeloperoxidase was associated with intracranial artery plaque (odds ratio [OR], 1.12 [95% CI, 1.02-1.23]), stenosis (OR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.02-1.39]), and higher intracranial atherosclerotic burden (common OR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.02-1.23]) at baseline, as well as plaque progression at wave 2 (OR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.07-1.30) and wave 3 (OR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.02-1.26). Continuous granulocyte colony-stimulating factor levels were not significantly associated with these outcomes; however, its highest tertile was associated with baseline intracranial artery plaque and higher intracranial atherosclerotic burden versus the lowest tertile (P for trend<0.05).
Conclusions:
Elevated myeloperoxidase and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor levels were associated with intracranial atherosclerosis and plaque progression over ≈4.7 years, highlighting the role of neutrophil-driven inflammation.
