The Relevance of Serum Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Level and Executive Function in Patients with White Matter Hyperintensity in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

Abstract

(1) Objective: To investigate the relationship between serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) level and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and executive function (EF) in cerebral small vascular disease (CSVD), and assess the impact and predictive value of MIF level and Fazekas scores in CSVD-related cognitive impairment (CI) (CSVD-CI); (2) Methods: A total of 117 patients with WMH admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from January 2022 to August 2022 were enrolled. According to the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale, subjects were divided into a normal cognitive group and an impaired group. All subjects required serum MIF level, 3.0 T MRI, and neuropsychological evaluation to investigate the risk factors for CDVD-CI, analyze the correlation between MIF level, WMH, and EF, and to analyze the diagnostic value of MIF and WMH degree in predicting CSVD-CI; (3) Results: 1. Fazekas score and MIF level were the risk factors of CSVD-CI. 2. The Fazekas score was negatively correlated with MoCA score, positively correlated with Stroop C-Time, Stroop C-Mistake, Stroop interference effects (SIE)-Time, SIE-Mistake, and color trails test (CTT) interference effects (CIE) (B-A). 3. The MIF level was positively correlated with Fazekas score, Stroop C-Time, SIE-Time, CTT B-Time, and CIE (B-A), and negatively correlated with MoCA score. 4. Fazekas score and MIF level were significant factors for diagnosing CSVD-CI; (4) Conclusion: The Fazekas score and MIF level may be the risk factors of CSVD-CI, and they are closely correlated to CI, especially the EF, and they have diagnostic value for CSVD-CI.

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor as a Potential Plasma Biomarker of Cognitive Impairment in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

“…As an important risk marker of CSVD, WMH pathogenesis may involve multiple contributing factors including BBB leakage. , In our study, CSVD-CI patients showed significantly higher total WMH Fazekas scores than CSVD-CN patients, which is consistent with previous findings . The significant correlation of plasma MIF levels with total WMH Fazekas scores indicated that MIF could be associated with WMH development and positively mirror the severity of WMH, which was further supported by the finding of differences in MIF plasma levels between the Fazekas score subgroups.…”

“…Mini Meta-Analysis. Including the present study, a total of two studies 16 reported on the blood MIF levels of CSVD patients (Table S4). These studies included a total of 234 volunteers, including 125 CSVD-CI patients and 109 CSVD-CN patients.…”

“…The greatest strength of the present study is the comprehensive investigation of circulating MIF in apparent (symptomatology), mesoscopic (imageology), and microscopic (molecules) for the clinical value in CSVD-CI. In addition, compared with the previous study, 16 our study added a healthy cohort to determine the levels of plasma MIF in the normal state, which was helpful to reveal the pathophysiological role of MIF in the development of CSVD-CI. Furthermore, we provided an effective model to achieve the early diagnosis of CSVD-CI based on our findings of plasma MIF.…”

“…13,14 MIF is also associated with chronic vascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration pathology, 15 are increased in CSVD-CI patients as compared to CSVD-CN ones and are closely correlated with impaired executive function. 16 However, at present, the evidence of MIF as a peripheral biomarker of CSVD-CI is preliminary. In particular, the unsatisfactory diagnostic power of MIF for CSVD-CI should be addressed.…”

“…Prior research has shown that an MIF antagonist plays a neuroprotective role in the pathology of stroke and that increased MIF production can expand the neuroinflammatory process and amyloid β-mediated neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s disease, which is associated with cognitive decline. , MIF is also associated with chronic vascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration pathology, indicating a possible relationship of MIF with CSVD-CI. Recently, Zhao et al reported that serum MIF levels are increased in CSVD-CI patients as compared to CSVD-CN ones and are closely correlated with impaired executive function . However, at present, the evidence of MIF as a peripheral biomarker of CSVD-CI is preliminary.…”