Background and Aims: Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is a serious complication after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We analyzed the plasma levels of MMP-9 before and after EVT, and assessed the temporal changes of MMP-9 in predicting HT after EVT. Methods: We enrolled 30 AIS patients who received EVT, and 16 of them (53.3%) developed HT. The levels of plasma MMP-9 collected from the arteries of AIS patients before and immediately after EVT were meas-ured using ELISA. The percentage changes of MMP-9 after EVT (after/before) were calculated and compared between patients with and with-out HT. Results: The median age of AIS patients was 70, and 13 of them (43.3%) were men. The median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) of patients with HT was 18 on admission and 18 after EVT. The NIHSS of patients without HT was 17 on admission and 11 after EVT. Patients with HT demonstrated significantly greater percentage increases in arterial MMP-9 levels after EVT. Conclusions: In AIS patients who developed HT, there was a signifi-cant increase in arterial MMP-9 levels after EVT, suggesting that the upregulation of MMP-9 following EVT could serve as a predictive bio-marker for HT.
Date:
2024-10
Relation:
International Journal of Stroke. 2024 Oct;19(2):373.
