Abstract WP286: Post-Stroke Immune Suppression is Mediated by Bioactive Lipids

Ischemic stroke patients frequently develop systemic immune suppression that predisposes them to life-threatening infections. Although this dysfunction has been recognized for decades, the mechanisms linking brain injury to impaired leukocyte responses remain poorly defined. We hypothesized that circulating lipids with immunosuppressive potential drive systemic immune paralysis after stroke, reducing antimicrobial activity and increasing infection risk. We examined leukocyte function in both acute ischemic stroke patients and mice subjected to 60-minutes of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Peripheral mononuclear blood cells isolated from ischemic stroke patients during the first week of hospitalization exhibited significantly diminished uptake and killing capacity (N= 53, p