Sixty consecutive patients with ipsilateral symptoms in last 6 months (stroke, transient ischemic attack or amaurosis fugax) and internal carotid stenosis ≥70%, referred to the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, China were scheduled for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) surgery between October 2013 and December 2019 enrolled. The symptoms were evaluated by a neurologist and the stenosis was measured by duplex ultrasonography. Forty healthy subjects who had no coronary and carotid atherosclerotic plaques were recruited as normal control.
All subjects underwent clinical and biochemical examinations. Exclusion criteria were prior cerebral infraction (within 20 days), carotid occlusion, vasculitis, acute infection, chronic hepatic and renal dysfunction, malignancy, unstable angina or myocardial infarction within 6 months, prior radiation therapy to the neck, treatment with immunomodulating drugs or oncological disease.
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University. Procedures followed institutional guidelines, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
All subjects underwent clinical and biochemical examinations. Exclusion criteria were prior cerebral infraction (within 20 days), carotid occlusion, vasculitis, acute infection, chronic hepatic and renal dysfunction, malignancy, unstable angina or myocardial infarction within 6 months, prior radiation therapy to the neck, treatment with immunomodulating drugs or oncological disease.
The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University. Procedures followed institutional guidelines, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
