LncRNA ITGA2 as a Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker for Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: A Clinical Investigation

Background Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) greatly impairs quality of life. This study investigates the clinical significance of long non-coding RNA ITGA2 (lncRNA ITGA2) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and its link to PSCI. Methods We enrolled 152 healthy individuals and 155 AIS patients. Subsequently, lncRNA ITGA2 expression in peripheral blood was detected via qRT-PCR. Additionally, NIHSS, mRS, and MoCA scores were collected. The diagnostic and prognostic performance was then evaluated using ROC analysis, correlation tests, Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox regression models. Results LncRNA ITGA2 was significantly upregulated in AIS and positively correlated with NIHSS and mRS scores. The AUC for diagnosing AIS was 0.907. Moreover, PSCI patients showed further elevated lncRNA ITGA2, which was negatively correlated with MoCA scores. Importantly, lncRNA ITGA2 was identified as an independent risk factor for PSCI. Consequently, high expression increased the risk of cognitive impairment, with an AUC of 0.900 for predicting PSCI. Conclusion Peripheral lncRNA ITGA2 shows diagnostic value for AIS and serves as an independent risk factor and predictive biomarker for PSCI, supporting its use as a non-invasive tool for early detection and risk evaluation.