Small vessel disease (SVD) is frequent in aging and stroke patients. Inflammation and remodeling of extracellular matrix have been suggested as concurrent mechanisms of SVD. We investigated the relationship between imaging features of SVD and circulating metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in patients with ischaemic stroke. In patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis, we took blood samples before intravenous thrombolysis and 90 days after the acute stroke and analysed levels of MMPs and TIMPs. We assessed leukoaraiosis, number of lacunes and brain atrophy on pre-treatment CT scan and graded global SVD burden combining such features. We investigated associations between single features, global SVD and MMPs and TIMPs at baseline and at follow-up, retaining univariate statistically significant associations in multivariate linear regression analysis and adjusting for clinical confounders. A total of 255 patients [mean (±SD) = 68.6 (± 12.7) years, 154 (59%) males] were included, 107 (42%) had no signs of SVD; 47 (19%) had from moderate to severe SVD burden. A total of 107 (42%) patients had no signs of SVD; 47 (19%) had from moderate to severe SVD burden. After adjustment, only TIMP-4 proved associations with SVD features. Brain atrophy was associated with baseline TIMP-4 (β = 0.20;p = 0.019) and leukoaraiosis with 90 days TIMP-4 (β = 0.19; p = 0.013). Global SVD score was not associated with baseline TIMP-4 levels (β = 0.10; p = 0.072), whereas was associated with 90 days TIMP-4 levels (β = 0.21; p = 0.003). Total SVD burden was associated with higher TIMP-4 levels 90 days after stroke, whereas was not during the acute phase. Our results support a biological relationship between SVD grade and TIMP-4.
Keywords: Acute stroke; Matrix metalloproteinase; Small vessel disease; Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase.