Endothelial and leukocyte-derived microvesicles and cardiovascular risk after stroke: PROSCIS-B

Objective: To determine the role of circulating endothelial microvesicles (EMV) and microvesicles (MV) of other origins on long-term cardiovascular outcomes after stroke, we measured them in a cohort of first-ever stroke patients and observed them for three years.

Methods: In the PROSpective Cohort with Incident Stroke Berlin (PROSCIS-B), patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were followed for three years. The primary combined endpoint consisted of recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality. Levels of EMV, leukocyte-derived MV (LMV), monocytic MV (MMV), and platelet-derived MV (PMV) were measured in citrate blood using flow cytometry. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the effect of MV levels on the combined endpoint after adjustment confounding.

Results: 571 patients were recruited (median age 69y; 39% female; median NIHSS 2, interquartile range 1-4). During the follow-up, 95 endpoints occurred. Patients with lev...