GENDER-RELATED IMMUNE STATUS IN ISCHEMIC STROKE

Research objective – to reveal gender-related features of changes in immune status during acute ischemic stroke.

There were enrolled 160 subjects including 100 (50 males and 50 females) apparently healthy (no complaints, no check-ups and no diagnoses). On admission, 60 (30 males and 30 females) were diagnosed with ischemic stroke, who were examined for changes in immune status by assessing the following parameters such as T and B-cell subsets: peripheral blood CD3+ (mature T lymphocytes); CD4+ (T helper); CD8+ (cytotoxic T cells) T cells; CD16+ (natural killers); CD20+ (B cells) cells as well as CD4/CD8 ratio. Total amount of IgG, M, A antibodies was measured by simple radial immunodiffusion by Mancini et al., whereas IgE level – by ELISA. Level of serum C3-, C4-complement components, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, INFγ, IL-4, IL-10 was measured by ELISA.

Our study revealed that in peripheral blood count of total leukocytes, band neutrophils and lymphocytes was significantly increased in acute ischemic stroke vs healthy subjects in sex-independent manner. Moreover, no pronounced differences between females vs males were observed. Rise in such parameters may be due to host inflammatory response. While examining humoral immunity, it was shown that activity the complement system and cytokine level in patients with acute ischemic stroke had gender-related increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-2 that paralleled with decreased anti-inflammatory IL-10, IL-4 and IFNγ. In addition, subjects in both groups demonstrated significantly increased amount of IgG, IgM, IgE, total complement and its С3- and C4 fractions, C1-inhibitor, CIC, factor H, FI, FH, NBT-sp., NBI-st. hence, based on this it may be concluded that patients with ischemic stroke exert signs of marked inflammation. Similar to cellular immune arm, the above parameters revealed gender-related differences so that all immune parameters were significantly increased in males vs females.