Background
Inflammatory and immune responses triggered by brain ischemia worsen clinical outcomes of stroke and contribute to hemorrhagic transformation, massive edema and reperfusion injury associated with intravenous alteplase. We assessed whether a combination of the immune-modulator fingolimod and alteplase is safe and effective in attenuating reperfusion injury in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated within the first 4.5 hours of symptom onset.
Methods and Results
In this multi-center trial, we randomly assigned 25 eligible patients with hemispheric ischemic stroke stemming from anterior or middle cerebral arterial occlusion to receive alteplase alone or 22 patients to receive alteplase plus oral fingolimod 0.5 mg daily for three consecutive days within 4.5 hours of the onset of ischemic stroke. Compared with patients who received alteplase alone or patients who received combination of fingolimod with alteplase exhibited lower circulating lymphocytes, smaller lesion volumes (10.1 vs 34.3 ml, P = 0.04), less hemorrhage (1.2 vs 4.4 ml, p = 0.01) and attenuated neurodeficits in National Institute of Health Stroke Scales (4 vs 2, P =0.02) at day 1. Furthermore, restrained lesion growth from day 1 to day 7 (−2.3 vs 12.1 ml, P < 0.01) with a better recovery at day 90 (modified Rankin Scale 0-1, 73% vs 32%, P < 0.01) was evident in patients given fingolimod and alteplase. No serious adverse events were recorded in all patients.
Conclusions
In this pilot study, combination therapy of fingolimod and alteplase was well tolerated, attenuated reperfusion injury and improved clinical outcomes in AIS patients. These findings need to be tested in further clinical trials.
Perihematomal edema (PHE) occurs within hours after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), leading to secondary injury manifested by impaired blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity and destruction of adjacent tissue. To dissect the mechanisms underlying PHE formation, we profiled human and mouse perihematomal tissues and identified natural killer (NK) cells as the predominant immune cell subset that outnumbers other infiltrating immune cell types during early stages of ICH. Unbiased clustering of single-cell transcriptional profiles revealed two major NK cell subsets that respectively possess high cytotoxicity or robust chemokine production features in the brain after ICH, distinguishing them from NK cells of the periphery. NK cells exacerbate BBB disruption and brain edema after ICH via cytotoxicity toward cerebral endothelial cells and recruitment of neutrophils that augment focal inflammation. Thus, brain-bound NK cells acquire new features that contribute to PHE formation and neurological deterioration following ICH.
ObjectiveThe present study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of coadministration of fingolimod with alteplase in acute ischemic stroke patients in a delayed time window.MethodsThis was a prospective, randomized, open‐label, blinded endpoint clinical trial, enrolling patients with internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery proximal occlusion within 4.5 to 6 hours from symptom onset. Patients were randomly assigned to receive alteplase alone or alteplase with fingolimod. All patients underwent pretreatment and 24‐hour noncontrast computed tomography (CT)/perfusion CT/CT angiography. The coprimary endpoints were the decrease of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores over 24 hours and the favorable shift of modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) distribution at day 90. Exploratory outcomes included vessel recanalization, anterograde reperfusion, and retrograde reperfusion of collateral flow.ResultsEach treatment group included 23 patients. Compared with alteplase alone, patients receiving fingolimod plus alteplase exhibited better early clinical improvement at 24 hours and a favorable shift of mRS distribution at day 90. In addition, patients who received fingolimod and alteplase exhibited a greater reduction in the perfusion lesion accompanied by suppressed infarct growth by 24 hours. Fingolimod in conjunction with alteplase significantly improved anterograde reperfusion of downstream territory and prevented the failure of retrograde reperfusion from collateral circulation.InterpretationFingolimod may enhance the efficacy of alteplase administration in the 4.5‐ to 6‐hour time window in patients with a proximal cerebral arterial occlusion and salvageable penumbral tissue by promoting both anterograde reperfusion and retrograde collateral flow. These findings are instructive for the design of future trials of recanalization therapies in extended time windows. Ann Neurol 2018;84:725–736
Our study indicated the presence of trans-synaptic degeneration in NMOSD. Damage to the inner retina and optic radiations can be observed even in NMONON. After an episode of optic neuritis, the anterior visual pathway damage is greater than the posterior visual pathway damage.
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