Plasma levels of inflammatory and thrombotic/fibrinolytic markers in acute ischemic strokes: relationship with TOAST subtype, outcome and infarct site.

The aim of our study was to evaluate in patients with acute ischemic stroke the relationship between immuno-inflammatory variables, clinical outcome and infarct site.We evaluated plasma levels of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-10, E-selectin, P-selectin, sICAM-1 ,sVCAM-1 vWF, TPA and PAI-1.Patients with cardioembolic subtype showed significantly higher median plasma levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta whereas the lacunar subtype showed significantly lower median plasma levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta.A significant association was noted between the severity of neurological deficit at admission, the diagnostic subtype and some inflammatory variables.