Increased plasma periostin concentration predicts angiographic vasospasm development in non-severe aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

It is unknown whether plasma concentrations of a matricellular protein periostin change in association with the development of angiographic vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In 113 patients with aneurysmal SAH of World Federation of Neurological Surgeons grades 1–3 at admission, plasma periostin concentrations were serially measured at days 1–3, 4–6, 7–9 and 10–12 after SAH onset. Measured periostin levels and clinical variables were compared between patients with and without angiographic vasospasm. Periostin concentrations were significantly higher in patients with angiographic vasospasm at days 4–6 and 7–9. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses indicated that cutoff plasma periostin values of 54.3 ng/ml at days 4–6 and 58.1 ng/ml at days 7–9 predicted or diagnosed angiographic vasospasm development with a specificity of 66.0 % and a sensitivity of 72.7 %, and a specificity of 75.0 % and a sensitivity of 55.0 %, respectively. Multivariate analyses also revealed that increased plasma periostin concentrations at days 7–9 was independently associated with angiographic vasospasm development. This study showed for the first time that plasma periostin levels were increased in patients with angiographic vasospasm. These findings suggest that plasma periostin can serve as a biomarker and may be a new therapeutic target for angiographic vasospasm after SAH.