To discuss the correlation among intracranial arterial stenosis and its risk factors.

A total of 486 patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic cerebral infarction were examined using color doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and transcranial doppler ultrosonography (TCD). According to the degrees of extracranial arterial stenosis, patients with mild-to-moderate extracranial stenosis were classified into group A (435 cases) while those with constant severe stenosis or occlusion were classified into group B (51 cases). The differences between the two groups of risk factors were compared, and the multi-factor logistic regression analysis of risk factors associated with moderately severe intracranial arterial stenosis was performed.

① The risk factors that were significantly associated with intracranial arterial stenosis included age (P = 0.034) and gender (P = 0.044). ② Intracranial artery stenosis was observed in both anterior and posterior cerebral arteries in patients with hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease respectively (P < 0.05). ③ Compared with group A, patients in group B were older (P = 0.000), with a higher proportion of men (P = 0.037), and the intracranial arterial stenosis degrees were significantly higher (P = 0.013). ④ Multi-factor logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes is a risk factor for moderately severe intracranial arterial stenosis (P < 0.05), and hyperlipidemia is a protective factor (P = 0.012).

Age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and smoking are risk factors for the distribution of intracranial arterial stenosis. The degrees of intracranial arterial stenosis are related with extracranial arterial stenosis. Diabetes is a risk factor for moderately severe intracranial arterial stenosis while hyperlipidemia is a protective factor.

We aimed to provide an alternative cell source for cell therapy in leukoaraiosis (LA).

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) from the olfactory bulb were isolated, cultured, and purified. Next, the lentivirus carrying human VEGF165 gene was constructed and transfected into OECs.

The proliferative capacity of primary OECs was strong. OECs were infected with different multiplicity of infection. The expression level of VEGF was confirmed by real-time PCR with specific primers for GAPDH and VEGF, indicating that the genetically engineered OECs-VEGF produced VEGF with functional activity.

Our data showed that these engineered OECs-VEGF highly express functional VEGF and retain the characteristics of astrocytes and Schwann cells, providing an alternative cell source for cell therapy in LA.