RESUMO
Objective To explore the relation between plasmocytoid dentritic cells (pDCs) and cerebral immune-inflammation reaction following ischemic stroke. Methods Circulating pDCs were measured by flow cytometry in 62 patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), 26 healthy controls, 12 patients with asymptomatic cerebral infarction stenosis (ACI-S), and 14 patients with transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The sizes of infarct lesions were assessed by DWI scanning. AIS group was further divided into lacunar infarction group, small infarction group,and large infarction group according to the infarction area. The correlation between the number of pDCs and NHISS score and CRP level was also analyzed in AIS group. Results The labsolute number of pDCs and the percentage of pDCPs to circulating blood white cells were significantly lower in AIS group than in the healthy control group (P<0.001). As compared with lacunar infarction group, the number of pDCPs decreased significantly in large infarction group. The number of pDCPs was negatively correlated with the levels of CRP and the NIHSS score. Conclutions Patients with AIS has a decreased level of circulating pDCs, which may be involved in the gathering of circulating pDCs in the infarcted brain to trigger cerebral immune reaction.