{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T05:11:55Z","timestamp":1778562715262,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778544000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004837","name":"Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci\u00f3n","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PID2022-140616OB-I00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PID2022-140616OB-I00"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004837","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001674","name":"Fondation Leducq","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["TNE-21CVD04"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TNE-21CVD04"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001674","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004587","name":"Instituto de Salud Carlos III","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PI23\/00635"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PI23\/00635"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004587","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cardiovasc. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background and purpose<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and acquired disability. Acute-phase interventions like intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy have improved stroke prognosis, yet limitations persist, warranting novel therapeutic targets in cerebroprotection. Neutrophils play a key role in the post-stroke immune response, where recent studies have shown both detrimental and cerebroprotective roles. CXCL12 has emerged as a cytokine influencing neutrophil phenotype and potentially stroke severity, yet its effect in the acute phase remains controversial.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In this prospective cohort study, 134 patients with ischemic stroke within 6\u2005h of onset or with a wake-up stroke were included. We recorded clinical data, plasma CXCL12 levels, and neutrophil phenotype at admission, 24\u2005h and 3 months post-stroke. We assessed stroke severity using NIHSS scores, ASPECTS scores, infarct volume at 24\u201372\u2005h and functional outcomes at 3 months. Correlations between CXCL12, clinical severity, radiological findings, and functional outcomes were analyzed with regression models. A predictive model was developed using backward stepwise regression.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Higher admission CXCL12 concentrations were associated with lower radiological severity (ASPECTS) and reduced infarct volume at 24\u2005h. Lower CXCL12 at 24\u2005h was linked to increased hemorrhagic transformation risk, while no significant link was found with 3-month functional prognosis. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between CXCL12 levels and plasma NETs markers. No associations were found between CXCL12 levels and neutrophil aging phenotype by nuclear segmentation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Our findings suggest CXCL12 levels are associated with acute stroke severity and with a lower risk of hemorrhagic transformation, though not with long-term functional outcomes. Further research is needed to elucidate the role of CXCL12 in stroke pathophysiology and to determine its potential relevance as a biomarker or therapeutic target.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcvm.2026.1753482","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T04:29:31Z","timestamp":1778560171000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["CXCL12 levels correlate with reduced stroke severity and lower risk of hemorrhagic transformation in stroke patients"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Fernando","family":"Ostos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Moraga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cellular Biology and Histology Department, Complutense Medical School, Instituto Investigaci\u00f3n Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda Isabel","family":"Cuartero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurovascular Research Unit. 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Pharmacology Department, Complutense Medical School, Instituto Investigaci\u00f3n Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Patricia","family":"Calleja","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alicia","family":"Garc\u00eda-Culebras","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cellular Biology and Histology Department, Complutense Medical School, Instituto Investigaci\u00f3n Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda \u00c1ngeles","family":"Moro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurovascular Pathophysiology, Centro Nacional Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC)","place":["Madrid, Spain"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ignacio","family":"Lizasoain","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurovascular Research Unit. 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