A new blood marker indicates inflammation in the carotid plaque and the risk of stroke recurrence

Inflammation of the carotid plaque is an important factor in the risk of recurrent stroke in patients with carotid artery disease. A study led by Dr. Vicenta Llorente, coordinator of the Lipids and Cardiovascular Pathology Group of the CSIC, and Dr. Sonia Benitez, researcher of the Cardiovascular Biochemistry Group of the Research Institute of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau -IIB Sant Pau, has evaluated the efficacy of soluble low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (sLRP1) as an indicator of carotid plaque inflammation. The study was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Pol Camps-Renom from the Cerebrovascular Diseases group of the IIB Sant Pau and the Stroke Unit of the same hospital.

The study analyzed data from 64 adult patients who had presented with an ischemic stroke associated with carotid atherosclerosis in the internal carotid artery in the last seven days. The analysis showed a significant association between sLRP1 levels and carotid plaque inflammation measured by 18F-FDG PET. In addition, a direct relationship was observed between sLRP1 levels and the risk of stroke recurrence within one year after stroke in these patients.

Dr. Llorente explains that this marker has previously been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and its relationship with inflammation in the coronary artery and the extent of epicardial fat affecting cardiac function has been demonstrated. This study provides new evidence that the sLRP1 protein is also a reliable indicator of carotid plaque inflammation, which could help predict stroke recurrence in these patients.

The research provides an innovative approach to evaluating carotid plaque inflammation, which is more accessible than imaging techniques and could provide a valuable tool to integrate the risk of both carotid and coronary events in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Reference article

Garcia E, Camps-Renom P, Puig N, Fernández-Leon A, Aguilera-Simón A, Benitez-Amaro A, Solé A, Vilades D, Sanchez-Quesada JL, Martí-Fàbregas J, Jiménez-Xarrié E, Benitez S, Llorente-Cortés V. Soluble low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 as a surrogate marker of carotid plaque inflammation assessed by 18F-FDG PET in patients with a recent ischemic stroke. J Transl Med. 2023 Feb 19;21(1):131. doi: 10.1186/s12967-022-03867-w. PMID: 36805772; PMCID: PMC9940334.