Levels of Lipoprotein Phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) for the Treatment Evaluation in Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Ischemic stroke is most commonly found in the elderly with high mortality rates. The inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain increases the risk of ischemic stroke. High- sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a protein produced by the liver, is used as a non-specific inflammation biomarker. The level of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2),released from vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques in the inflamed vascular walls, also increases in the ischemic stroke. The objectives of this study were to analyze the levels of
Lp-PLA2 activity and hs-CRP in ischemic stroke before and after treatment (at 2, 4 and 6 weeks) in 55 patients, age 35 - 85 years. The levels of Lp-PLA2 activity, hs-CRP, and other parameters were determined by AU680 BECKMAN automated analyzer. The results showed that the levels of Lp-PLA2 activity and hs-CRP were significantly reduced after 2 - 6 weeks of stroke treatment comparing to the levels before the treatment (admission baseline) at p < 0.05, with higher percentage reduction in hs-CRP level than in Lp-PLA2 activity. The hs-CRP also had positive correlation with Lp-PLA2 activity (r = 0.474; p < 0.001). However, being a specific inflammatory marker for blood vessels, Lp-PLA2 should be more useful in the evaluation of ischemic stroke treatment.