Inflammatory Biomarkers as Prognostic Indicators for Intracranial Aneurysm Recurrence After Stent‐Assisted Coil Embolization

TL;DR

This study finds that higher levels of certain inflammatory biomarkers in the blood predict a higher risk of intracranial aneurysm recurrence after a specific treatment.

Contribution

The study identifies specific inflammatory cytokines as independent predictors of aneurysm recurrence after stent-assisted coil embolization.

Findings

Elevated plasma levels of IL-2, IL-10, IL-17, and IFN-γ are significantly associated with aneurysm recurrence after treatment.

Combining these four cytokines provides the highest predictive accuracy for recurrence risk with an area under the curve of 0.761.

Systemic inflammation, as indicated by these biomarkers, plays a crucial role in aneurysm recurrence following stent-assisted coil embolization.

Abstract

The reappearance of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) after undergoing stent‐assisted coil embolization (SACE) is a significant issue in clinical practice. In this study, we analyzed blood regulatory T‐cell counts and plasma cytokine levels to assess the extent of systemic inflammation and investigate their potential association with the recurrence of IAs undergoing SACE.

A total of 189 individuals with 220 unruptured IAs were included in a retrospective study, with participants categorized into groups of occlusion and recurrence according to the Raymond–Roy Scale. Initially, a univariate analysis was used to identify distinctions among clinical data, morphological parameters, and preoperative plasma cytokine levels. A logistic regression model was built using variables with a significance level of p < 0.05, and the specificity and sensitivity of the chosen parameters were assessed through graphical and statistical analysis using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve techniques.

In the group with recurrence, the plasma concentrations of IL‐2, IL‐10, IL‐17, and IFN‐γ were notably elevated compared to the occlusion group. Based on binary logistic regression analysis, it was found that the levels of IL‐10 (odds ratio = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.06–1.46, p = 0.008), IL‐17 (odds ratio = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.17–1.82, p < 0.001), and INF‐γ (odds ratio = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.07–1.54, p = 0.007) were determined to be crucial independent indicators for the recurrence of IAs. The highest predictive accuracy recurrence risk, with an area under the curve of 0.761, was achieved through the combination of IL‐2, IL‐10, IL‐17, and INF‐γ.

Findings reveal indicate that elevated levels of plasma IL‐2, IL‐10, IL‐17, and IFN‐γ are consistently present in recurrent IAs, implying that the initial inflammatory levels in the body are a major contributor to the recurrence of IAs following SACE. The combination of IL‐2, IL‐10, IL‐17, and IFN‐γ may assist in predicting the likelihood of recurrence in IAs following SACE.

The study found that elevated plasma levels of IL‐2, IL‐10, IL‐17, and IFN‐γ are significantly associated with the recurrence of intracranial aneurysms after stent‐assisted coil embolization. These cytokines serve as independent predictors for recurrence, suggesting that systemic inflammation plays a crucial role in the process.

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