Intracranial Artery Calcification Relates to Brain Damage and Clinical Outcomes in Patients Receiving Intravenous Thrombolysis.

Aim: Intracranial artery calcification (IAC) in patients with acute ischemic stroke may cause cerebral hemodynamic injury and aggravate ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, its relationship with brain damage and clinical outcomes has not yet been fully explored.

Methods: Patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke who underwent intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) were enrolled. Intracranial artery calcification (IAC) was assessed using the IAC volume and number of calcified vessels (NCV) on pre-IVT computed tomography. Outcomes included the degree of brain injury at 24 h post-IVT, measured by serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels, final infarct volumes, intracranial hemorrhaging within 24 h of IVT, and a poor prognosis at 90 days (modified Rankin Scale ＞2). A multivariate regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the associations between IAC parameters and clinical outcomes.

Results: A total of 348 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 273 (78.4%) had IAC. Patients were divided into four quartile groups (Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4) based on the total IAC volume. The fourth quartile (Q4), which included patients with the highest IAC volume, was independently associated with elevated GFAP levels (odds ratio [OR] = 2.449, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.057-5.673; P = 0.037). The second quartile (Q2) was independently associated with final infarct volume (β:0.483, 95% CI:0.014-0.952, P = 0.044). In addition, NCV was independently correlated with increased GFAP levels (OR = 1.265, 95% CI:1.010-1.584, P = 0.040) and a poor prognosis (OR = 1.270, 95% CI: 1.008-1.600, P = 0.043).

Conclusion: IAC was independently associated with the degree of brain injury, final infarct volume, and prognosis in patients after IVT.