Plasma inflammatory biomarkers in cerebral small vessel disease: A review

Abstract

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a group of pathological processes affecting small arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and small veins of the brain. It is one of the most common subtypes of cerebrovascular diseases, especially highly prevalent in elderly populations, and is associated with stroke occurrence and recurrence, cognitive impairment, gait disorders, psychological disturbance, and dysuria. Its diagnosis mainly depends on MRI, characterized by recent small subcortical infarcts, lacunes, white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), and brain atrophy. While the pathophysiological processes of CSVD are not fully understood at present, inflammation is noticed as playing an important role. Herein, we aimed to review the relationship between plasma inflammatory biomarkers and the MRI features of CSVD, to provide background for further research.

Keywords: cerebral small vessel disease; endothelial dysfunction; imaging features; inflammatory biomarkers.

FIGURE 1

Features of CSVD on MRI. (A) The features of CSVD on MRI mainly included recent small subcortical infarcts, lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, enlarged perivascular spaces, cerebral microbleed, and brain atrophy. (B) Cranial MRI findings in a 56‐year‐old female with vascular dementia: (1) recent small subcortical infarct, (2) lacune, (3) white matter hyperintensities, and (4) cerebral microbleeds. (C) Cranial MRI findings in a 66‐year‐old male with clinical presentation of bradykinesia: (1) enlarged perivascular spaces, (2) lacunes, and (3) white matter hyperintensities. DWI represents diffusion‐weighted imaging; FLAIR, fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery; SWI represents susceptibility‐weighted imaging.