The functional role of hemojuvelin in acute ischemic stroke

• Published in: Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 1316 - 1327
• Main Authors: Young, Guang-Huar, Tang, Sung-Chun, Wu, Vin-Cent, Wang, Kuo-Chuan, Nong, Jing-Yi, Huang, Po-Yuan, Hu, Chaur-Jong, Chiou, Hung-Yi, Jeng, Jiann-Shing, Hsu, Chung Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.06.2020
• Subjects: Aged; Animals; Biomarkers - analysis; Female; GPI-Linked Proteins - metabolism; Hemochromatosis Protein - metabolism; Humans; Ischemic Stroke - metabolism; Ischemic Stroke - pathology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Middle Aged; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - pathology; Original; Recovery of Function - physiology; neuron; iron; hemojuvelin protein; Acute ischemic stroke; outcome
• ISSN: 0271-678X; 1559-7016; 1559-7016
• DOI: 10.1177/0271678X19861448

Our study aimed to establish the role of hemojuvelin (HJV) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We performed immunohistochemistry for HJV expression in human brain tissues from 10 AIS and 2 non-stroke autopsy subjects. Plasma HJV was measured in 112 AIS patients within 48 h after stroke. The results showed significantly increased HJV expression in brain tissues from AIS patients compare to non-stroke subjects. After adjusting for clinical variables, plasma levels of HJV within 48 h after stroke were an independent predictor of poor functional outcome three months post-stroke (OR:1.78, 95% CI: 1.03–3.07; P = 0.038). In basic part, Western blotting showed that HJV expression in mice brains was apparent at 3 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and increased significantly at 72 h. In cultured cortical neurons, expression of HJV protein increased remarkably 24 h after oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD), and small interfering RNAs (siHJV) transfected OGD neurons had a lower apoptotic rate. Importantly, 72 h post-MCAO, HJV knockout mice had significantly smaller infarcts and less expression of cleaved caspase-3 protein compared with wild-type mice. In summary, HJV participates in the mechanisms of post-stroke neuronal injury, and that plasma HJV levels can be a potential early outcome indicator for AIS patients.