Effect of connective tissue growth factor and inflammatory factors on the condition and prognosis of patients undergoing reperfusion for acute ischemic stroke

Objective: To evaluate the impact of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and inflammatory factors on the condition and prognosis of patients undergoing reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 212 AIS patients who received reperfusion therapy at Wu Xi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Suqian Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2021 to January 2024. Patients were divided into a control group (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score = 0-3, n = 132) and a study group (mRS score = 4-6, n = 80). The mRS and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were compared between the two groups 90 days post-reperfusion. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and CTGF at the time of reperfusion were measured, and their correlations with the mRS and NIHSS scores were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify factors influencing patient prognosis.

Results: The control group had significantly lower levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and CTGF at reperfusion compared to the study group (all P < 0.050). Ninety days post-reperfusion, the control group showed significantly lower mRS and NIHSS scores than the study group (both P < 0.001). Levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and CTGF at reperfusion were positively correlated with mRS and NIHSS scores 90 days post-reperfusion (all P < 0.050). Logistic regression analysis identified age, and IL-6, TNF-α, and CTGF levels at reperfusion, as independent factors influencing prognosis.

Conclusion: In AIS patients undergoing reperfusion, higher levels of CTGF, IL-6, and TNF-α at reperfusion were associated with worse mRS and NIHSS scores 90 days later. Age and elevated levels of these markers were independent predictors of poorer prognosis.