Biochemical changes and inflammatory response as markers for brain ischaemia: molecular markers of diagnostic utility and prognosis in human clinical practice.

The study of molecular markers associated with stroke has proved to be of considerable utility. We review the main biochemical changes of neurotoxicity and of inflammation and their usefulness as markers associated with early signs of ischaemia in the neuroimage, with early neurological deterioration, with the volume of the infarct, with haemorrhagic transformation, with the efficacy of thrombolytic treatment and with malignant ischaemic syndrome. Raised plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) are a powerful predictor of early neurological deterioration and the more important molecular marker associated with final volume of infarct. Levels of matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9) have a significant relationship with the efficacy of thrombolytic treatment and with the incidence and seriousness of haemorrhagic complications. Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel