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Research ArticleBRAIN
Open Access

Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption after Cardiac Surgery

J.G. Merino, L.L. Latour, A. Tso, K.Y. Lee, D.W. Kang, L.A. Davis, R.M. Lazar, K.A. Horvath, P.J. Corso and S. Warach
American Journal of Neuroradiology August 2012, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A3251
J.G. Merino
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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L.L. Latour
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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A. Tso
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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K.Y. Lee
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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D.W. Kang
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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L.A. Davis
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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R.M. Lazar
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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K.A. Horvath
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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P.J. Corso
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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S. Warach
From the section on Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics (J.G.M., L.L.L., L.A.D., S.W.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland; Johns Hopkins Community Physicians (J.G.M., K.A.H.), Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Neurology (A.T.), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Neurology (K.Y.L.), Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Medical Center (D.W.K.), Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Neurology (R.M.L.), Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Cardiothoracic Surgery Research (K.A.H.), National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and Department of Cardiac Surgery (P.J.C.), Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC.
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Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CNS complications are often seen after heart surgery, and postsurgical disruption of the BBB may play an etiologic role. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of MR imaging-detected BBB disruption (HARM) and DWI lesions after cardiac surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients had an MRI after cardiac surgery. For half the patients (group 1), we administered gadolinium 24 hours after surgery and obtained high-resolution DWI and FLAIR images 24–48 hours later. We administered gadolinium to the other half (group 2) at the time of the postoperative scan, 2–4 days after surgery. Two stroke neurologists evaluated the images.

RESULTS: Of the 19 patients we studied, none had clinical evidence of a stroke or delirium at the time of the gadolinium administration or the scan, but 9 patients (47%) had HARM (67% in group 1; 30% in group 2; P = .18) and 14 patients (74%) had DWI lesions (70% in group 1; 78% in group 2; P = 1.0). Not all patients with DWI lesions had HARM, and not all patients with HARM had DWI lesions (P = .56).

CONCLUSIONS: Almost half the patients undergoing cardiac surgery have evidence of HARM, and three-quarters have acute lesions on DWI after surgery. BBB disruption is more prevalent in the first 24 hours after surgery. These findings suggest that MR imaging can be used as an imaging biomarker to assess therapies that may protect the BBB in patients undergoing heart surgery.

Abbreviations

CABG
coronary artery bypass grafting
HARM
hyperintense acute reperfusion marker
MMP-9
matrix metalloproteinase-9
mRS
modified Rankin scale
  • © 2013 American Society of Neuroradiology

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J.G. Merino, L.L. Latour, A. Tso, K.Y. Lee, D.W. Kang, L.A. Davis, R.M. Lazar, K.A. Horvath, P.J. Corso, S. Warach
Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption after Cardiac Surgery
American Journal of Neuroradiology Aug 2012, DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A3251

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Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption after Cardiac Surgery
J.G. Merino, L.L. Latour, A. Tso, K.Y. Lee, D.W. Kang, L.A. Davis, R.M. Lazar, K.A. Horvath, P.J. Corso, S. Warach
American Journal of Neuroradiology Aug 2012, DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A3251
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