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Brain & Heart Cerebral ischemia biomarkers
some intriguing findings have been reported. Tau protein validate their clinical utility and explore their mechanisms
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levels have been shown to be increased in the CSF of of action is essential for their successful integration into
patients after severe traumatic brain injury, which is also routine clinical practice. FOXF2 and ATP5H hold promise
associated with vascular insults. This observation suggests for improving the diagnosis, prognosis, and management
that tau may serve as a potential biomarker for vascular of patients with cerebral ischemia and may contribute to
brain injury, including cerebral ischemia. better treatment outcomes in the future.
Further evidence for the role of tau in cerebral FOXF2 (forkhead box F2) is a transcription factor that
ischemia is provided by elevated tau levels in post-stroke plays a crucial role in neuronal development and vascular
patients, with higher levels being associated with poorer homeostasis. Emerging evidence suggests that it is involved in
cognitive performance. In addition, increased levels of multiple aspects of cerebral ischemia, including angiogenesis,
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tau phosphorylation have been reported in ischemic brain neuroprotection, and inflammation regulation. FOXF2
tissue, indicating the activation of tau pathology in this expression is upregulated in cerebral ischemia and has been
condition. 42 associated with improved clinical outcomes in several studies.
For instance, a recent study found that increased FOXF2
Emerging evidence suggests that Aβ, tau, and phospho- expression in animal models of cerebral ischemia correlated
tau may serve as valuable biomarkers in cerebral ischemia. significantly with reduced infarct size and improved
However, further research is essential to fully understand neurological function. Furthermore, increased expression
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their role in disease progression, diagnosis, and prognosis. of FOXF2 was associated with enhanced angiogenesis and
The interplay between these protein abnormalities and reduced brain edema. These results suggest that FOXF2 may
other pathological features of cerebral ischemia remains serve as a potential biomarker for predicting the severity and
an active area of research. Future studies should focus on prognosis of cerebral ischemia.
elucidating the molecular mechanisms linking Aβ, tau,
and phospho-tau to cerebral ischemia, which will lead to ATP5H is a subunit of ATP synthase, a key enzyme
the development of novel therapeutic interventions for responsible for ATP production in the mitochondria. Due to
stroke patients. its involvement in cellular energy metabolism and cerebral
homeostasis, its encoding gene has recently emerged as a
5. Genetic biomarkers in cerebral ischemia potential biomarker for cerebral ischemia. Several studies
have demonstrated altered ATP5H expression in ischemic
Genetic biomarkers have emerged as promising tools for brain tissue. For example, ATP5H has been found to be
predicting, diagnosing, and monitoring cerebral ischemia.
downregulated in cerebral ischemia models, indicating
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5.1. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms as impaired mitochondrial function. This dysregulation of
biomarkers in cerebral ischemia ATP5H could contribute to the energy depletion observed
in ischemic brain tissue. The potential diagnostic utility
Several studies have implicated SNPs in genes related of ATP5H as a biomarker in cerebral ischemia requires
to vascular function, inflammation, and coagulation in further investigation.
the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia. For example, the
rs1801133 SNP in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase The diagnostic and prognostic significance of FOXF2
(MTHFR) gene has been associated with an increased risk and ATP5H in cerebral ischemia is gaining increasing
of cerebral ischemia. Similarly, the rs1800795 SNP in the attention. The identification of these biomarkers enables
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interleukin-6 (IL6) gene has been linked to both ischemic early detection and risk stratification in patients at high
stroke susceptibility and outcome. Certain genetic risk of stroke. In addition, monitoring the expression of
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variants, such as factor V Leiden, MTHFR C677T, and these biomarkers during treatment can provide valuable
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion insights into the response to treatment and help to
polymorphisms, have also been associated with increased adjust therapeutic strategies accordingly. Several studies
susceptibility to cerebral ischemia. 44 have highlighted the potential of FOXF2 and ATP5H as
therapeutic targets in cerebral ischemia. For instance,
5.2. FOXF2 and ATP5H as biomarkers in cerebral pharmacological interventions targeting FOXF2 have
ischemia shown neuroprotective effects in animal models.
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In recent years, the transcription factor gene FOXF2 and Similarly, strategies aimed at restoring ATP5H expression
the ATP synthase subunit gene ATP5H have emerged as or function may have therapeutic potential to alleviate
promising biomarkers for cerebral ischemia, providing cerebral ischemic injury.
valuable insights into the pathophysiological processes Although FOXF2 and ATP5H show promising
and potential therapeutic targets. Further research to potential as biomarkers of cerebral ischemia, several
Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 7 doi: 10.36922/bh.2750

