White matter hyperintensities combined with serum NLRP3 in diagnosis of cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral small vessel disease.

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are widely used for the diagnosis of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). However, whether NLRP3 is correlated with cognitive impairment after CSVD is still not clear. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of WMHs combined with NLRP3 for cognitive impairment after CSVD. This prospective observational study enrolled a total of 188 CSVD patients from September 2019 to May 2022. All patients received brain MRI assessment and WMH Fazekas score, as well as WMH volume, was recorded. Serum NLRP3 level was measured by ELISA. Patients' cognitive function was measured by MoCA after 6 months of diagnosis of CSVD. The serum levels of C reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density leptin cholesterol (HDL) and low-density leptin cholesterol (LDL) were recorded CSVD patients with cognitive impairment had significantly higher Fazekas scores, WMH volumes, serum NLRP3 and IL-6 levels compared to patients without cognitive impairment. A positive correlation was found among Fazekas scores, WMH volumes and NLRP3 levels. The combination of WMH volume and NLRP3 could achieve a better specificity for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment. Coronary syndrome history, WMH volume and NLRP3 were found as independent risk factors for cognitive impairment after CSVD. Fazekas scores, WMH volume and serum NLRP3 levels are associated with cognitive impairment after CSVD and have the potential to be used as diagnostic biomarkers.