Introduction: Macrophages may play a central role in the inflammatory response leading to aneurysm rupture. We sought to determine whether Granulocyte-Monocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) plays a role in the progression of human intracranial aneurysms
Methods: Specifically, we investigated whether there was a correlation between aneurysm size and the concentration of GM-CSF in the lumen of intracranial aneurysms. The concentrations of GM-CSF in blood samples drawn from the lumen of 15 human unruptured saccular intracranial aneurysms were compared. Correlation was assessed with Spearman’s rank correlation.
Results: The mean plasma concentration of GM-CSF was significantly higher in aneurysms larger than 7 mm (30.1 ± 2.8 pg/ml) compared with aneurysms smaller than 7 mm (26.4 ± 2.4 pg/ml p=0.02). There was a significant positive correlation between aneurysm size and the plasma concentration of GM-CSF (Spearman's rho= 0.55; p=0.04).
Conclusions: GM-CSF, through its stimulatory function on macrophages, may promote aneurysm progression and may be a possible therapeutic target
Patient Care: GM-CSF may be a possible therapeutic target in the future, preventing therefore aneurysm growth and rupture.
Learning Objectives: The mean plasma concentration of GM-CSF was significantly higher in aneurysms larger than 7 mm (30.1 ± 2.8 pg/ml) compared with aneurysms smaller than 7 mm (26.4 ± 2.4 pg/ml p=0.02).
There was a significant positive correlation between aneurysm size and the plasma concentration of GM-CSF (Spearman's rho= 0.55; p=0.04). GM-CSF,may promote aneurysm progression and may be a possible therapeutic target.