Untargeted metabolomics reveals thrombus-associated and systemic metabolic alterations in acute ischemic stroke

Untargeted metabolomics analysis of serum samples from 14 ischemic stroke patients and 14 healthy controls, alongside cerebral thrombi, uncovered distinct metabolic alterations. Thrombi exhibited a unique metabolic profile, featuring metabolites associated with amino acid metabolism, pyrimidine turnover, nucleotide turnover, and membrane phospholipid remodeling.

Conversely, serum from stroke patients showed alterations in amino acid metabolism and redox-related processes, indicative of systemic response to acute ischemia. Thrombus analysis revealed potential biochemical signatures of platelet activation, cellular breakdown, and membrane remodeling, not fully captured by blood samples alone.

This integrated approach underscores the concept of separate systemic and thrombus-associated metabolic remodeling in acute ischemic stroke, offering candidate metabolic features and pathways for further validation and integration with thrombus composition, reperfusion characteristics, and clinical outcomes.