Association of inflammatory cytokines expression in cerebrospinal fluid with the severity and prognosis of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

Abstract Objective To investigate the potential diagnostic and prognostic implications of inflammatory cytokine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) upon their initial hospital admission. Methods Our cohort included 100 patients diagnosed with acute SICH, presenting to the Department of Neurosurgery. Additionally, we recruited 50 individuals without central nervous system (CNS) pathology, treated concurrently at our facility, as controls. CSF samples, collected upon hospital entry, were quantitatively assessed for 10 inflammatory cytokines using the Mesoscale Discovery Platform (MSD, Rockville, MD, USA) electrochemiluminescence technology, followed by validation through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results We observed a marked elevation of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α in the CSF of the SICH subgroup compared to controls. Higher Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores in SICH patients corresponded with lower CSF concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α, indicating an inverse relationship. Notably, CSF inflammatory cytokine levels were consistently higher in SICH patients with hydrocephalus than in those without. Increases in IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α in the CSF were notably more pronounced in the poor prognosis group (Glasgow Outcome Scale, GOS 1–3) compared to those with a favorable prognosis (GOS 4–5). The AUC values for these cytokines in predicting SICH prognosis were 0.750, 0.728, 0.717, and 0.743, respectively. Conclusions Initial CSF levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α upon admission provide significant insights into the severity of neural damage and are robust indicators for prognosis in SICH patients.