Increased Level Of FAM19A5 Is Associated With Cerebral Small Vessel Disease And Leads To A Better Outcome

Objective FAM19A5 plays an essential role in the development and acute or chronic inflammation of the central nervous system.Cerebral small vessel disease(c SVD)is a group of diseases caused by changes in small intracranial blood vessels and is closely related to inflammation.Its typical imaging features include recent small subcortical infarction(RSSI),white matter hyperintensity(WMH),enlarged perivascular space(EPVS),and cerebral microbleeds(CMB)and lacunes(LA).The total MRI burden of cerebral small vessel disease is often used to assess and stratify cerebral small vessel disease by combining the imaging characters of small vessel disease.The present study aimed to explore the association between FAM19A5 and cerebral small vessel disease(c SVD).MethodsA total of 335 recent small subcortical infarction(RSSI)patients and 265 healthy controls were included in this study.The difference in the FAM19A5 level between the two groups was compared and the correlation between FAM19A5 and cerebral infarction volume was analyzed.Also,the association between FAM19A5 and the total magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)burden with its imaging characteristics(WMH,EPVS,CMB,and LA)was explored.Moreover,the correspondence of FAM19A5 with the outcome was assessed viaΔ National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score(NIHSS)between NIHSS at admission and it at discharge as well as the percentage of NIHSS improvement.ResultsFAM19A5 was highly expressed in the RSSI group(P =0.023),showing a positive correlation with cerebral infarction volume(P <0.01).It was positively correlated with total MRI c SVD burden(P <0.001)and reflected the severity of white matter hyperintensity(WMH)(P <0.01)and enlarged perivascular space(EPVS)(P<0.01),but did not show any association with cerebral microbleed(CMB)and lacune.Moreover,FAM19A5 suggested a larger ΔNIHSS(P =0.021)and NIHSS improvement percentage(P=0.007).ConclusionSerum FAM19A5 was increased in RSSI and positively correlated with the infarct volume.It also reflects the total MRI burden of c SVD,of which the imaging characteristics are positively correlated with WMH and EPVS.In addition,higher FAM19A5 levels reflect better outcomes in RSSI patients.