The role of allopregnanolone level in the diagnosis of the disease in transient ischemic attack patients

Abstract

Aim: The risk of stroke increases in patients developing transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the short term, and early initiation of treatment significantly reduces this risk. Therefore, serum biomarkers that confirm or exclude TIA will be very valuable in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Allopregnanolone (AP) levels of TIA patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of consecutive emergency department patients with TIA (December 2018–October 2019) and age/sex-matched healthy controls. Serum allopregnanolone (AP) was measured by ELISA at presentation and compared between groups, and diagnostic performance was assessed using ROC analysis.

Results: 40 patients (17 women 42.5%, 23 men 57.5%) who met the inclusion criteria, and 40 healthy volunteers were included in the study. AP levels were found to be significantly higher in both men and women according to their gender compared to the control group (P<0.001). AP levels were significantly higher in the patients compared to the control group (197.04±32.15 vs. 128.75±12.66, p<0.001). The optimum cut-off value of AP in detecting TIA was determined as AUC: 0.740 (0.630-0.850), sensitivity: 70%, and specificity: 72.5% at 134.5.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that serum allopregnanolone levels are significantly elevated in patients diagnosed with transient ischemic attack. These results, obtained from a controlled cohort with rigorous exclusion criteria, provide a foundation for future studies investigating the diagnostic role of neurosteroids in cerebrovascular events.

How to cite this article: 

Şimşek A, Beceren NG, Armağan HH, Hatip AY, Yalçın İG, Oğuzlar FÇ, Bedel C. The role of allopregnanolone level in the diagnosis of the disease in transient ischemic attack patients. J Med Dent Invest 2025;6:e250135. https://doi.org/10.5577/jomdi.e250135