Proteomic profiling identifies novel inflammation-related plasma proteins associated with ischemic stroke outcome.

BACKGROUND: The inflammatory response to cerebral ischemia is complex; however, most clinical studies of stroke outcome focus on a few selected proteins. We, therefore, aimed to profile a broad range of inflammation-related proteins to: identify proteins associated with ischemic stroke outcome that are independent of established clinical predictors; identify proteins subsets for outcome prediction; and perform sex and etiological subtype stratified analyses. METHODS: Acute-phase plasma levels of 65 inflammation-related proteins were measured in 534 ischemic stroke cases. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations to unfavorable 3-month functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score > 2) and LASSO regressions to identify proteins with independent effects. RESULTS: Twenty proteins were associated with outcome in univariable models after correction for multiple testing (FDR < 0.05), and for 5 the association was independent of clinical variables, including stroke severity (TNFSF14 [LIGHT], OSM, SIRT2, STAMBP, and 4E-BP1). LASSO identified 9 proteins that could best separate favorable and unfavorable outcome with a predicted diagnostic accuracy (AUC) of 0.81; three associated with favorable (CCL25, TRAIL [TNFSF10], and Flt3L) and 6 with unfavorable outcome (CSF-1, EN-RAGE [S100A12], HGF, IL-6, OSM, and TNFSF14). Finally, we identified sex- and etiologic subtype-specific associations with the best discriminative ability achieved for cardioembolic, followed by cryptogenic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: We identified candidate blood-based protein biomarkers for post-stroke functional outcome involved in, e.g., NLRP3 inflammasome regulation and signaling pathways, such as TNF, JAK/STAT, MAPK, and NF-κB. These proteins warrant further study for stroke outcome prediction as well as investigations into the putative causal role for stroke outcome.

Fatigue 7 years post-stroke: Predictors and correlated features.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is common with great impact on quality of life. We explored predictive and cross-sectionally correlated features in the long term after ischemic stroke. METHODS: This study comprises 430 participants of the prospective Sahlgrenska Academy Study on Ischemic Stroke (SAHLSIS), aged 18-69 years at index stroke. Information on acute stroke severity and cardiovascular risk factors was collected at index stroke. After 7 years, PSF was assessed by the Daily Fatigue Impact Scale (D-FIS). Cognitive, neurological, and functional outcomes, and symptoms of depression and anxiety, pain, insomnia, and physical activity were also assessed. Associations between baseline variables and PSF were analyzed by ordinal regression. Correlations between PSF and cross-sectionally assessed variables, and between PSF and baseline variables, were analyzed with Spearman's or point-biserial correlation for the whole sample and in sex-stratified analyses. RESULTS: At 7 years post-stroke, 80% of the participants reported some impact of fatigue. Female sex and stroke severity were independently associated with PSF, whereas no associations were detected with baseline cardiovascular risk factors. In cross-sectional analyses at 7 years, we found correlations between PSF and poor functional, neurological, and cognitive outcomes, as well as depressive symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, pain, and low physical activity (p < .001 throughout). The correlation with insomnia was stronger in women than in men (two-way ANOVA interaction test, p = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm that PSF is common in the long term after ischemic stroke and show a complex interplay with sex and several other outcomes. Future studies should address causal relationships and interventions towards fatigue and coexisting features.

Genetic mechanisms of 184 neuro-related proteins in human plasma.

Understanding the genetic basis of neuro-related proteins is essential for dissecting the disease etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders and other complex traits and diseases. Here, the SCALLOP Consortium conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of over 12,500 individuals for 184 neuro-reiated proteins in human plasma. The analysis identified 117 cis-regulatory protein quantitative trait loci (cis-pQTL) and 166 trans-pQTL. The mapped pQTL capture on average 50% of each protein's heritability. Mendelian randomization analyses revealed multiple proteins showing potential causal effects on neuro-reiated traits as well as complex diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol, immune-related disorders, and psychiatric disorders. Integrating with established drug information, we validated 13 combinations of protein targets and diseases or side effects with available drugs, while suggesting hundreds of re-purposing and new therapeutic targets for diseases and comorbidities. This consortium effort provides a large-scale proteogenomic resource for biomedical research.

Unraveling Neuro-Proteogenomic Landscape and Therapeutic Implications for Human Behaviors and Psychiatric Disorders.

Understanding the genetic basis of neuro-related proteins is essential for dissecting the molecular basis of human behavioral traits and the disease etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, the SCALLOP Consortium conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of over 12,500 individuals for 184 neuro-related proteins in human plasma. The analysis identified 117 cis-regulatory protein quantitative trait loci (cis-pQTL) and 166 trans-pQTL. The mapped pQTL capture on average 50% of each protein's heritability. Mendelian randomization analyses revealed multiple proteins showing potential causal effects on neuro-related traits such as sleeping, smoking, feelings, alcohol intake, mental health, and psychiatric disorders. Integrating with established drug information, we validated 13 out of 13 matched combinations of protein targets and diseases or side effects with available drugs, while suggesting hundreds of re-purposing and new therapeutic targets. This consortium effort provides a large-scale proteogenomic resource for biomedical research on human behaviors and other neuro-related phenotypes.

Investigation of 91 proteins implicated in neurobiological processes identifies multiple candidate plasma biomarkers of stroke outcome.

The inter-individual variation in stroke outcomes is large and protein studies could point to potential underlying biological mechanisms. We measured plasma levels of 91 neurobiological proteins in 209 cases included in the Sahlgrenska Academy Study on Ischemic Stroke using a Proximity Extension Assay, and blood was sampled in the acute phase and at 3-month and 7-year follow-ups. Levels were also determined once in 209 controls. Acute stroke severity and neurological outcome were evaluated by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. In linear regression models corrected for age, sex, and sampling day, acute phase levels of 37 proteins were associated with acute stroke severity, and 47 with 3-month and/or 7-year outcome at false discovery rate < 0.05. Three-month levels of 8 proteins were associated with 7-year outcome, of which the associations for BCAN and Nr-CAM were independent also of acute stroke severity. Most proteins followed a trajectory with lower levels in the acute phase compared to the 3-month follow-up and the control sampling point. Conclusively, we identified multiple candidate plasma biomarkers of stroke severity and neurological outcome meriting further investigation. This study adds novel information, as most of the reported proteins have not been previously investigated in a stroke cohort.

Genetic Predisposition to Mosaic Chromosomal Loss Is Associated With Functional Outcome After Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that a predisposition to acquired genetic alterations is associated with ischemic stroke outcome by investigating the association between a polygenic risk score (PRS) for mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY) and outcome in a large international data set. METHODS: We used data from the genome-wide association study performed within the Genetics of Ischemic Stroke Functional Outcome network, which included 6,165 patients (3,497 men and 2,668 women) with acute ischemic stroke of mainly European ancestry. We assessed a weighted PRS for mLOY and examined possible associations with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 3 months poststroke in logistic regression models. We investigated the whole study sample as well as men and women separately. RESULTS: Increasing PRS for mLOY was associated with poor functional outcome (mRS score >2) with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.19) per 1 SD increase in the PRS after adjustment for age, sex, ancestry, stroke severity (NIH Stroke Scale), smoking, and diabetes mellitus. In sex-stratified analyses, we found a statistically significant association in women (adjusted OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08-1.33). In men, the association was in the same direction (adjusted OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.95-1.14), and we observed no significant genotype-sex interaction. DISCUSSION: In this exploratory study, we found associations between genetic variants predisposing to mLOY and stroke outcome. The significant association in women suggests underlying mechanisms related to genomic instability that operate in both sexes. These findings need replication and mechanistic exploration.

Association Between Levels of Serum Insulin-like Growth Factor I and Functional Recovery, Mortality, and Recurrent Stroke at a 7-year Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The association of serum insulin-like growth factor I (s-IGF-I) with favorable outcome after ischemic stroke (IS) beyond 2 years is unknown. We investigated whether the levels of s-IGF-I 3 months post-stroke were associated with functional recovery up to 7 years after IS, considering also mortality and recurrent strokes. METHODS: Patients (N=324; 65% males; mean age, 55 years) with s-IGF-I levels assessed 3 months after the index IS were included from the Sahlgrenska Academy Study on Ischemic Stroke (SAHLSIS). The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to evaluate outcomes at 3 months, 2 and 7 years after IS, and recovery was defined as an improvement, no change, or deterioration in the shifts of mRS score. Baseline stroke severity was determined using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). RESULTS: The mRS score distributions were better in the above-median s-IGF-I group (>146.7 ng/ml). The s-IGF-I level was not associated with recurrent stroke (N=79) or death (N=44), although it correlated with recovery (r=0.12, P=0.035). In the regression analysis, s-IGF-I associated with recovery between 3 months and 7 years (but not between 2 and 7 years). The associations did not withstand adjustment for age and sex. For comparison, the corresponding associations between 3 months and 2 years withstood all adjustments. CONCLUSION: The association for s-IGF-I with long-term post-stroke recovery persists after 7 years, which is also reflected in the mRS score distributions at all time-points. The effects are however modest, and not driven by mortality or recurrent stroke.