Reduced Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A Levels are Correlated with the Incidence of Brain Edema in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients
Ismail Setyopranoto *
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University and Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Samekto Wibowo
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University and Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Ahmad Hamim Sadewa
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Rusdi Lamsudin
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University and Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: To study the correlation between the vascular endothelial growth factor A/VEGF-A level and the incidence of brain edema in acute ischemic stroke patients.
Study Design: A prospective observational analytic case-control study.
Place and Duration of Study: Stroke Unit at the Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, between December 2010 and August 2011.
Methodology: Seventy-one hospitalized acute ischemic stroke patients were recruited, consisting of 37 subjects in the brain edema group and 34 subjects in the non-brain edema group. Comparative analysis of the VEGF-A levels in blood was performed between the brain edema and non-brain edema groups.
Results: The average level of VEGF-A in the brain edema group was 436 pg/mL and the one in the non-brain edema group was 746 pg/mL. This difference was statistically significant (95%CI: 5.5-615; P=.046). The proportion of VEGF-A levels less than the calculated cut-off point (638.3 pg/mL) in the brain edema group were significantly greater than the ones in the non-brain edema (83.78% and 58.82%, respectively; OR=3.6; 95%CI=1.06-13.26; P=.020).
Conclusions: The decreased levels of VEGF-A in blood were correlated with the incidence of brain edema in acute ischemic stroke patients.
Keywords: Acute ischemic stroke, VEGF-A, blood, brain edema.