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Elevated peripheral leukocyte counts in acute cervical artery dissection
Author(s) -
GrondGinsbach C.,
Giossi A.,
Aksay S. S.,
Engelter S. T.,
Lyrer P. A.,
Metso T. M.,
Metso A. J.,
Tatlisumak T.,
Debette S.,
Leys D.,
Thijs V.,
Bersano A.,
Abboud S.,
Kloss M.,
Lichy C.,
Grau A.,
Pezzini A.,
Touzé E.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
european journal of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1468-1331
pISSN - 1351-5101
DOI - 10.1111/ene.12201
Subject(s) - medicine , cervical artery , stroke (engine) , white blood cell , gastroenterology , odds ratio , cardiology , carotid arteries , engineering , mechanical engineering
Background and purpose It has been suggested that inflammation may play a role in the development of cervical artery dissection ( C e AD ), but evidence remains scarce. Methods A total of 172 patients were included with acute (< 24 h) C e AD and 348 patients with acute ischaemic stroke (IS) of other (non‐ C e AD ) causes from the C ervical A rtery D issection and I schemic S troke P atients ( CADISP ) study, and 223 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy control subjects. White blood cell ( WBC ) counts collected at admission were compared across the three groups. Results Compared with healthy control subjects, C e AD patients and non‐ C e AD stroke patients had higher WBC counts ( P < 0.001). Patients with C e AD had higher WBC counts and were more likely to have WBC > 10 000/μl than non‐ C e AD stroke patients (38.4% vs. 23.0%, P < 0.001) and healthy controls (38.4% vs. 8.5%, P < 0.001). WBC counts were higher in C e AD (9.4 ± 3.3) than in IS of other causes (large artery atherosclerosis, 8.7 ± 2.3; cardioembolism, 8.2 ± 2.8; small vessel disease, 8.4 ± 2.4; undetermined cause, 8.8 ± 3.1; P = 0.022). After adjustment for age, sex, stroke severity and vascular risk factors in a multiple regression model, elevated WBC count remained associated with C e AD , as compared with non‐ C e AD stroke patients [odds ratio (OR) = 2.56; 95% CI 1.60–4.11; P < 0.001) and healthy controls ( OR = 6.27; 95% CI 3.39–11.61; P < 0.001). Conclusions Acute C e AD was associated with particularly high WBC counts. Leukocytosis may reflect a pre‐existing inflammatory state, supporting the link between inflammation and C e AD .