Stroke Caused by Low Levels of Antibodies

Swedish scientists from the Karolinska Institutet have recently determined that one of the primary causes behind a person's risk of stroke is the amount of antibodies he or she has inside their bodies. The new investigation could also carry considerable implications in the fight against the dangerous condition called arteriosclerosis, which sees the blood vessels inside the body impaired, and unable to properly ensure a steady blood flow. Using the new data, investigators hope to soon be able to develop a new class of vaccines that could have the ability to mobilize the entire immune system, so that the risk of stroke is considerably lowered, AlphaGalileo reports.

Professor Johan Frostegard, the leader of the Swedish research group, has already demonstrated in previous researches that immune systems rich in the antibody anti-PC were linked to reduced risks of stroke. This particular type of antibody has been directly linked to less chances of developing arteriosclerosis as well. This medical condition is one of the primary causes of thrombosis (the formation of blood clots), which in turn lead to myocardial infarction. People suffering from this condition basically suffer from cramps in the muscle of their heart.

“We're now examining the possibility of developing new immunological treatments for arteriosclerosis and stroke, either in the form of a vaccine to stimulate the immune defense or immunization through the injection of antibodies,” Frostegard explains.

The team demonstrated in their new research that low levels of anti-PC directly dictate a person's chances of developing arteriosclerosis, one of whose main side-effects is stroke. The antibody count for this specific substance is indirectly linked to someone's chance of suffering from stroke sometime in their life. Additionally, the poor state of the immune system can also open up the way for other infections, or for other conditions to develop.

The investigation was conducted under the CVDIMMUNE consortium, which is sponsored by the European Union, and led by Frostegard and the Karolinska Institutet. The first author of the study was KI Department of Medicine doctoral student Roland Fiskesund. The work was conducted on 227 volunteers that had suffered from strokes, and on 445 healthy, matched controls. It was revealed that anti-PC levels that were as little as 30 percent lower than the average were linked with a heightened risk of stroke. In women, the risk was approximately 300 percent greater, the scientists conclude.