Background and Purpose--Space-occupying brain edema is a life-threatening complication in patients with large hemispheric stroke. The aim of the study was to determine whether molecular markers of endothelial damage may help to predict secondary brain edema and, secondly, to identify patients who could benefit from aggressive therapies such as decompressive hemicraniectomy or hypothermia.

Methods--We studied 40 consecutive patients with malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction and 35 controls with massive MCA infarctions <70 years of age and matched by stroke severity on admission. Cranial computed tomography (CT) was performed at entry and repeated between days 4 and 7, or earlier if there was neurological worsening. Malignant MCA (m-MCA) infarction was diagnosed when follow-up CT detected a more than two-thirds space-occupying MCA infarction with midline shift, compression of the basal cisterns, and neurological deterioration. Plasma concentrations of glutamate, glycine, -aminobutyric acid, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and cellular-fibronectin (c-Fn) were determined in blood samples obtained at admission.

Results--Mean time from stroke onset to blood sampling was 6.3±4.8 in m-MCA and 7.7±6.0 hours in the control group (P=0.63). Baseline characteristics were comparable in both groups. c-Fn and MMP-9 levels were significantly higher in patients with m-MCA than in controls (all P<0.001). c-Fn >16.6 µg/mL had the highest sensitivity (90%), specificity (100%), and negative and positive predictive values (89% and 100%, respectively) for the prediction of m-MCA infarction.

Conclusions--A plasma c-Fn concentration >16.6 µg/mL at admission is associated with the development of m-MCA infarction with high sensitivity and specificity, suggesting that c-Fn might be useful in therapeutic decision making.