BackgroundAcute ischemic stroke (AIS) has a biphasic effect on the peripheral immune system. The initial inflammatory response is followed by systemic immunosuppression, referred to as stroke-induced immunosuppression (SIIS), leading to severe complications in stroke patients. We aimed to identify an inflammatory marker that best represents this biphasic immunological response after AIS.MethodsWe investigated the alteration of CRP, WBC, neutrophil count, suPAR levels, CD4+ CD25high Tregs, CD64+ and CD177+ neutrophils and monocytes in 12 acute ischemic stroke patients free of infection within 6 hours and one week after the insult. As controls, 14 age-matched healthy individuals were included.ResultsCRP, WBC and neutrophil count values were comparable in stroke patients within 6 hours and controls, however, they were elevated in stroke one week after the insult. suPAR levels were higher in both stroke groups compared to controls. The prevalence of CD64+ neutrophils was higher in stroke patients within 6 hours than in controls and it decreased in stroke one week after the insult below the level in controls (5.95 [5.41-8.75] % vs. 32.38 [9.21-43.93] % vs. 4.06 [1.73-6.77] %, p < 0.05).ConclusionsOur pilot study identified that the prevalence of CD64+ neutrophils may reflect a biphasic alteration of the immune response following AIS. Since its level decreases below baseline after one week of the CNS insult in stroke patients without infection, it might serve as a reliable candidate to identify the developing inflammatory response due to infection after stroke in the future.

Objectives Risk factors for stroke include psychological effects, such as depression. Festive occasions (such as Christmas in Hungary) may carry a significant emotional impact and may therefore contribute to increased cardiovascular risk. Thrombolytic treatment of acute ischemic stroke has a narrow time window and allows for the precise assessment of stroke incidence. Materials & Methods We analyzed anonymized national data of the number of thrombolytic treatments for acute ischemic stroke and the number of stroke‐related deaths between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2016 in Hungary within 2‐day, 5‐day, and 1‐month periods preceding and following 24 December each year. Analysis of subgroups based on age (below and over 65 years) and sex was also performed. Results The number of thrombolytic treatments was higher in all three periods preceding Christmas compared to the corresponding period that follows the feast. This increase was particularly prominent in men below 65 years of age. While overall stroke‐associated mortality was increased 1 month after Christmas, the death rate was higher a month before rather than after Christmas in men below 65 years of age and in women both below and over 65 years of age 5 days before Christmas. Conclusions These findings may predominantly relate to emotional and psychological factors. In case of women, the anxiety secondary to festive preparations, while in men below 65 years, the increased psychological stress of providing financial security for the celebration may play an important role.

A stroke miatt kialakuló dysphagia súlyos következményekkel járhat, amik között az egyik legjelentősebb az aspirációs pneumonia. A hazai szakmai irányelv a stroke-betegek táplálásterápiájához nyelészavar-felmé­réseket ajánl, mivel a korai szűréssel a betegség kime­netele és a kórházi ellátás is optimalizálható. A hitelesnek tekintett (műszeresen validált) ágy melletti nyelés­vizsgálatokról még nincs magyar nyelvű összefoglaló. Célkitűzés – Célunk az volt, hogy a szakirodalom áttekintése alapján összegezzük azokat az ágy melletti nyelés­zavar-felméréseket, amelyeket az elmúlt húsz évben publikáltak, és akut stroke-betegeken, műszeresen validáltak. Kérdésfelvetés – Arra kerestük a választ, hogy az elem­zésbe bevont validációs kutatások milyen jellegzetességet mutatnak a vizsgálati elrendezést, a minta összeállítását, a felmérések összetételét, a felmérőlapok diagnosztikus érzékenységét tekintve. A vizsgálat módszere – Szisztematikus irodalmi áttekintést végeztünk nyolc tudományos adatbázison 2001–2021 között, a célkitűzéseinknek megfelelő keresőkifejezésekkel. A vizsgálat alanyai – Az irodalomkutatás során talált 652 kapcsolódó cikket nyolcra redukáltuk, ezek összehasonlító elemzését hajtottuk végre. A vizsgált tanulmányokban nagy eltérés mutatkozott a minta nagyságára, valamint a beválogatási és kizárási kritériumokra vonatkozóan. A diagnosztikus érzékenység tekintetében kiemelendő a GUSS-teszt. A teljes mintában az akut stroke-betegek között a műszeresen igazolt dysphagia prevalenciája 56,1% volt. Miután az elemzett kutatások fókusza és összetétele eltért, összehasonlításuk a dysphagia fogalmának tisztázatlansága, a kimeneti mutatók különbö­zősége vagy a szűrés időzítése miatt nehézséget jelentett. A hazai irányelvben javasolt GUSS-felmérés mind­emellett alkalmas eszköz klinikai használatra.

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Acute stroke is a life-threatening condition. Fatal outcome is related to risk factors, some of these affected by climatic changes. Forecasting potentially harmful atmospheric processes may therefore be of practical importance in the acute care of stroke patients. We analyzed the history of all patients with acute ischemic stroke (N = 184) confirmed by neuroimaging including those who died (N = 35, 15 males) at our hospital department in the winter months of 2009. Patient data were anonymized, and the human meteorologists were only aware of patients' age, gender, and exact time of death. Of the meteorological parameters, equivalent potential temperature (EPT) has been chosen for analysis. EPT is generally used for forecasting thunderstorms, but in the case of synoptic scale airflow (10(6) m), it is suitable for characterizing the air mass inflowing from different regions. The behavior of measured EPT values was compared to the climatic (30 years) averages. We developed meteorological criteria for anomalous periods of EPT and tested if such periods are associated with higher rate of fatal outcome. The duration of anomalous and non-anomalous periods was nearly equal during the studied 3 months. Stroke onset distributed similarly between anomalous and non-anomalous days; however, of the 35 deaths, 27 occurred during anomalous periods: on average, 0.56 deaths occurred on anomalous days and 0.19 on non-anomalous days. Winter periods meeting the criteria of anomalous EPT may have a significant adverse human-meteorological impact on the outcome in acute ischemic stroke.