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Page 4 of 10 Mueller et al. Vessel Plus 2018;2:13 I http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2574-1209.2018.19

Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the whole cohort
Symptomatic Asymptomatic P values
(n = 54) (n = 57)
Age Mean 71.7 Mean 72.1 0.7
Gender (male) 44 (81%) 43 (75%) 0.5
Degree of stenosis Mean 77.3 Mean 73.2 0.03
High blood pressure 41 (76%) 42 (74%) 0.9
Diabetes 17 (31%) 16 (28%) 0.5
Dyslidemia 25 (46%) 34 (60%) 0.2
Tobacco 30 (56%) 31 (54%) 0.3
Coronary disease 10 (19%) 10 (18%) 0.9
Family history 4 (7.4%) 5 (8.7%) 0.9
Antiplatelet 7 (17%) 4 (3.5%) 0.3
Statins 18 (33%) 26 (48%) 0.2
Stroke 42 (78%) -
TIA 12 (22%) -
Lesion MRI (ipsilateral to stenosis) 41 (76%) -
*MES 14 (19%) 5 (9.2%) 0.02
TBR Median 2.1 Median 1.8 0.002
*MES detection performed in 107 patients. TIA: transitory ischemic attack; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; MES: microembolic signal;
TBR: target to background ratio

Table 2. Inflammatory plasmatic biomarkers in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (median values)
Symptomatic Stroke only TIA only P value Asymptomatic P value
(n = 54), pg/mL (n = 42), pg/mL (n = 12), pg/mL (stroke vs. TIA) (n = 57), pg/mL (sympt vs. asympt)
MMP-9 283,302 291,844 186,353 0.07 195,299 0.03
MMP-8 11,292 11,574 9302 0.7 8001 0.03
MMP-3 17,909 18,745 17,485 0.6 24,434 0.18
MMP-2 344,126 326,695 394,951 0.1 345,067 0.26
TNF-α 5.2 5.1 5.8 0.8 5.3 0.94
ICAM-1 277,016 280,808 256,042 0.7 285,594 0.56
VCAM-1 1,024,550 1,024,550 1,014,682 0.8 953,996 0.87
P-selectin 96,102 102,334 87,809 0.9 99,868 0.40
E-selectin 36,714 37,362 34,503 0.3 41,567 0.12
RANTES 45,188 45,992 41,941 0.2 44,278 0.49
MCP-1 296 310 251 0.3 258 0.17
*MPO 107 107 80 0.5 63 0.07
IL-6 1.35 1.3 2.07 0.7 1.35 0.24
IL-1 1943 1946 1840 0.7 1707 0.10
*lp-PLA2 126 118 131 0.4 138 0.25
*n = 51. MMP: matrix-metalloproteases; TNF: tumor necrosis factor; ICAM: intercellular adhesion molecule; VCAM: vascular cell
adhesion molecule; MCP: monocyte chemoattractant protein; MPO: myeloperoxidase; IL: interleukin; lp-PLA2: lipoprotein-associated
phospholipase; TIA: transitory ischemic attack

emboli, showed also an increased inflammatory activity (TBR: median 2.3 vs. 1.8, P = 0.01). The best TBR
threshold value for the distinction between symptomatic, asymptomatic, MES+ and MES- negative patients
was 1.9 .
[13]
Plasmatic biomarkers
Analysis of plasmatic biomarkers was performed in 111 patients. When symptomatic and asymptomatic
patients were compared, levels of MMP-8 and MMP-9 were significantly higher in the symptomatic
ones (P = 0.03 for both) [Table 2]. In a subgroup analysis of the symptomatic patients differentiating
between stroke and TIA, only stroke patients maintained a difference of MMP-9, however without reaching
significance. MPO showed a trend towards higher levels in stroke patients but did not attain statistical
significance [Table 2].