Okpete UE, Byeon H. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as a biomarker for neuropsychiatric complications in acute ischemic stroke. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(2): 102598 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i2.102598]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Haewon Byeon, Associate Professor, PhD, Department of Digital Anti-aging Healthcare (BK21), Inje University, No. 197 Injero, Gimhae 50834, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Research Domain of This Article
Psychiatry
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Psychiatry. Feb 19, 2025; 15(2): 102598 Published online Feb 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i2.102598
Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as a biomarker for neuropsychiatric complications in acute ischemic stroke
Uchenna E Okpete, Haewon Byeon
Uchenna E Okpete, Haewon Byeon, Department of Digital Anti-aging Healthcare (BK21), Inje University, Gimhae 50834, South Korea
Author contributions: Okpete UE and Byeon H contributed to this paper and assisted with writing the article; Byeon H designed the study; Okpete UE involved in data interpretation and developed methodology; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea Funded by the Ministry of Education, No. RS-2023-00237287; and Regional Innovation Strategy Through the National Research Foundation of Korea Funded by the Ministry of Education, No. 2021RIS-003.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Haewon Byeon, Associate Professor, PhD, Department of Digital Anti-aging Healthcare (BK21), Inje University, No. 197 Injero, Gimhae 50834, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Received: October 23, 2024 Revised: December 17, 2024 Accepted: December 23, 2024 Published online: February 19, 2025 Processing time: 83 Days and 7 Hours
Abstract
This study evaluates the findings of Gu et al, who investigated the role of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as a biomarker for predicting neuropsychiatric complications in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. The results revealed that elevated serum NGAL levels at admission are associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depressive symptoms at discharge. The study analyzed 150 AIS patients (mean age 65.4 years, 58% male) using the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to assess neuropsychiatric outcomes. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that higher NGAL levels were independent predictors of cognitive impairment [odds ratio (OR) = 1.42], anxiety (OR = 1.28), and depression (OR = 1.39). Notably, NGAL exhibited strong predictive power for cognitive impairment, with an area under the curve of 0.78. Despite these promising findings, NGAL’s clinical utility is limited by its non-specificity across various conditions. Nevertheless, NGAL levels could help identify AIS patients at risk for neuropsychiatric complications, enabling timely intervention and comprehensive neuropsychiatric evaluation. The study emphasizes the need for further research to validate NGAL’s predictive accuracy and specificity in diverse AIS populations and advocates for its integration with other diagnostic modalities to enhance clinical decision-making.
Core Tip: This study investigates neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as a potential biomarker for neuropsychiatric complications in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Gu et al demonstrate that elevated NGAL levels at admission are associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression. These findings are significant because such conditions, often overlooked, substantially impact post-stroke recovery and quality of life. This research broadens the understanding of NGAL’s functions beyond its established role as a biomarker for early kidney injury, emphasizing its relevance in neuroinflammation and neuropsychiatric processes.
