Emerging inflammatory biomarkers with acute stroke.

Despite newer neuroimaging techniques, timely and accurate diagnosis of acute stroke remains a significant challenge. The ability to identify stroke patients rapidly using a biologic biomarker would be highly beneficial. Inflammation following stroke is one physiologic mechanism that has been studied extensively in biomarker research. Several emerging inflammatory biomarkers have been identified and may be useful to diagnosis stroke, to predict the evolution of stroke, and to predict hemorrhagic transformation, particularly with the administration of thrombolytic therapy. Many challenges must be overcome before application to clinical practice can be recommended. Nevertheless, emerging inflammatory biomarkers demonstrate considerable promise, particularly as part of a multiple biomarker strategy, and significant improvement in stroke diagnosis, clinical management, and outcomes may be realized.