No abstract

Approximately 30% of strokes are cryptogenic despite an exhaustive in-hospital work-up Analysis of clot composition following endovascular treatment could provide insight into stroke etiology. Objective: To evaluate different population of lymphocytes in the clot analyses obtained in the hyper acute phase of stroke, as an early marker of etiology of ischemic stroke. Material and Methods: Consecutively, intracranial clots were obtained in the hyper acute phase of stroke in endovascular treatment with solitaire device and analyzed by flow cytometry quantifying the relative proportion ( RP ) of main leukocyte, monocyte, granulocyte and total lymphocyte populations and lymphocyte sub populations of B line (CD19), T line (CD3, CD4, CD8), Cytotoxic and Natural Killer. The results were expressed as percentages (%). All patients included were studied with complete diagnostic work up that included at least complete arteriography , aortic Angio CT , complete cardiac holter monitoring until one month form hospital discharge and transthoracic echocardiography , The etiology of stroke was categorized: cardiomebolic ( major structural heart disease and Atrial Fibrillation) atherosclerotic ( AT) (severe symptomatic arterial stenosis or complicated aortic atheromatosis ulceration confirmed by trans esophageal echocardiography ) ,infrequent causes or unknown etiology . Results: 80 patients were included. 22, 5% AT (n = 18) strokes were associated with higher RP lymphocytes PR (16.55 % vs. 5. 37 % p < 0,001), CD4 RP (5.74% vs. 2.03 % p = 0.001) and RP CD 19 (2.26 % vs. 0.37 % p< 0,001) in clot cytometry Analysis than rest of of strokes etiologies (n= 72). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that RP CD 19 (OR 3.51; 95% CI, 1, 81-6.81) was an independent predictor of atherosclerotic stroke .The ROC curve showed AUC (0.83) (95% CI, 0.72-0.95) for RP CD 19 for diagnosis of atherosclerotic strokes with flow cytometry of the clot ,obtained in emergent endovascular treatment. Conclusion: High expression of lymphocytes B in intracranial thrombi is a marker of atherosclerotic etiology.