Biomarkers of CASH

  • STATUS
    Recruiting
  • End date
    Jun 30, 2025
  • participants needed
    1040
  • sponsor
    University of Chicago
Updated on 19 February 2024

Summary

The project aims to develop prognostic and diagnostic blood tests for symptomatic brain hemorrhage in patients diagnosed with cavernous angiomas, a critical clinical challenge in a disease affecting more than a million Americans. We further examine whether blood biomarkers can replace or enhance the accuracy of advanced imaging in association with lesional bleeding. The project tests a novel integrational approach of biomarker development in a mechanistically defined cerebrovascular disease, with a clinically relevant context of use.

Description

Cerebral cavernous angioma (CA) is a capillary microangiopathy affecting more than a million Americans, predisposing them to a premature risk of brain hemorrhage. Fewer than 200,000 cases who have suffered a recent symptomatic hemorrhage (SH) are most likely to re-bleed again with serious clinical sequelae, and are the primary focus of therapeutic development. Genetic mechanisms of CA have been extensively studied, and consequent signaling aberrations in the neurovascular unit. These include proliferative dysangiogenesis, blood-brain barrier hyperpermeability, inflammation and immune mediated processes, anticoagulant vascular domain, and gut microbiome-driven mechanisms. Plasma levels of molecules reflecting these mechanisms and measures of vascular permeability and hemorrhage leak on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been correlated with CA hemorrhage in pilot studies. It would be desirable to optimize these biomarkers to accurately diagnose CASH, to prognosticate the risk of future SH, and to monitor cases after a bleed and in response to therapy. This would influence clinical management, and select higher risk cases for clinical trials. Additional candidate biomarkers are emerging from ongoing mechanistic and differential transcriptome studies, which would be expected to further enhance the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis and prediction of CASH. Weighed combinations of levels of plasma proteins and characteristic micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNA) may further strengthen biomarker associations. Plasma biomarkers may reflect (and potentially replace) more cumbersome and expensive imaging biomarkers for monitoring CA hemorrhage. We here assemble CA researchers and propose to deploy advanced statistical and computational biology approaches for the integration of novel candidate biomarkers. In Specific Aim 1 we assess these biomarkers in a large CA cohort to discover the best plasma biomarkers and validate them in sex, age and relevant clinical subgroups. In Specific Aim 2 we compare changes in MRI measures of vascular permeability and hemorrhage with plasma biomarkers over time. In Specific Aim 3 we query the biomarkers in non-CA subjects, to identify potential confounders in the clinical context. This project integrates analytic and computational biology expertise to develop blood tests for better CASH diagnosis and prognosis. The project tests a novel integrational approach of biomarker development in a mechanistically defined cerebrovascular disease with a relevant context of use. This approach is applicable to other neurological diseases with similar pathobiologic features.

Details
Condition Cavernous hemangioma, Cerebral Cavernous Malformation, Hemorrhagic Microangiopathy
Age 18years - 100years
Treatment Observational
Clinical Study IdentifierNCT04467489
SponsorUniversity of Chicago
Last Modified on19 February 2024

Eligibility

Yes No Not Sure

Inclusion Criteria

< 30 years of age
one or more seizures (with or without medical therapy) in the prior year
OR
> 50 years of age
having received an MRI of the brain with SWI (susceptibility weighted imaging) sequences for any indication in the year prior to enrollment
No HMA on brain MRI SWI sequences
OR
> 50 years of age
having received an MRI of the brain with SWI sequences for any indication in the year prior to enrollment
Two or more microbleeds on SWI brain MRI sequences, adjudicated by neuroradiologist

Exclusion Criteria

concurrent brain disease or structural brain pathology
any medical illness or surgery, seizure or stroke in the prior 12 months
active use of prescription medications in the prior 12 months
current pregnancy or within 6 months postpartum
reluctance to undergo venipuncture or donate blood specimen
OR
concurrent brain disease or structural brain pathology
any medical illness, surgery, or stroke in the prior 12 months other than seizure disorder
active use of prescription medications in the prior 12 months except anticonvulsants
current pregnancy or within 6 months postpartum
reluctance to undergo venipuncture or donate blood specimen
OR
concurrent brain disease or structural brain pathology
medical illness requiring hospitalization or surgery within the prior year
any history of stroke or epileptic seizure within the prior year
renal dysfunction by history or by impaired renal function on laboratory test
current pregnancy or within 6 months postpartum
reluctance to undergo venipuncture or donate blood specimen
OR
concurrent brain disease or structural brain pathology
medical illness requiring hospitalization or surgery within the prior year
any history of stroke or epileptic seizure within the prior year
renal dysfunction by history or by impaired renal function on laboratory test
current pregnancy or within 6 months postpartum
reluctance to undergo venipuncture or donate blood specimen
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