Inflammatory stroke extracellular vesicles induce macrophage activation

Journal article

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are protein-lipid complexes released from cells, as well as actively exocytosed, as part of normal physiology, but also during pathological processes such as those occurring during a stroke. Our aim was to determine the inflammatory potential of stroke EVs. METHODS: EVs were quantified and analyzed in the sera of patients after an acute stroke (<24 hours; OXVASC [Oxford Vascular Study]). Isolated EV fractions were subjected to untargeted proteomic analysis by liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry/mass-spectrometry and then applied to macrophages in culture to investigate inflammatory gene expression. RESULTS: EV number, but not size, is significantly increased in stroke patients when compared to age-matched controls. Proteomic analysis reveals an overall increase in acute phase proteins, including C-reactive protein. EV fractions applied to monocyte-differentiated macrophage cultures induced inflammatory gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: Together these data show that EVs from stroke patients are proinflammatory in nature and are capable of inducing inflammation in immune cells.

Authors: Couch, Y; Akbar, N; Davis, S; Fischer, R; Dickens, A

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Heart Association
• Journal: Stroke
• Volume: 48
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 2292-2296
• Publication date: 2017-05-23
• Acceptance date: 2017-04-14
• DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.017236
• EISSN: 1524-4628
• ISSN: 0039-2499
• Language: English
• Keywords: extracellular vesicles; acute-phase proteins; macrophages; C-reactive protein; stroke