# Hebei University hospital: RCD-high macrophage state found in mouse stroke data, 367 patients studied

- Published: 2026-11-14 19:08 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: acute ischemic stroke, secondary brain injury, inflammatory macrophage state, regulated cell death, inflammasome, early neurological deterioration, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, spatial transcriptomics, Hebei University
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-45040e9ad22430aec956ec59_hebei_university_hospital/

**Authors combined a retrospective cohort of 367 stroke patients with public mouse transcriptomic data and described a macrophage state combining cell-death, phagocytic and metabolic programs.**

![Hebei University hospital: RCD-high macrophage state found in mouse stroke data, 367 patients studied](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/1cb9f8d1c2eb8e7f.jpg)
*Bobjgalindo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

Researchers at the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University analyzed 367 patients with anterior-circulation acute ischemic stroke together with public mouse transcriptomic datasets. In *Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology* they report a distinct inflammatory macrophage state with high expression of regulated cell death (RCD) genes after cerebral ischemia [1]. The patients were presented within 24 hours of symptom onset or last-known-well time and were split into an earlier admission cohort (216) and a later one (151) [1].

## Clinical cohort: inflammation markers and outcomes

Early neurological deterioration (END), defined as a rise of at least 4 points on the NIHSS or death within 72 hours, occurred in 51 patients (13.9%) [1]. Unfavorable 90-day outcomes (modified Rankin Scale 3 to 6) were seen in 127 patients (34.6%) [1].

In unadjusted comparisons, patients with unfavorable outcomes had a median NIHSS score of 13.0 versus 8.0, a median admission neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio of 4.0 versus 3.6, and median C-reactive protein of 7.6 versus 5.7 mg/L [1]. They were also older (71.0 versus 66.2 years), and proximal large-vessel occlusion was more frequent (71.7% versus 41.2%). Patients who developed END had a ratio of 4.1 versus 3.6 and C-reactive protein of 7.4 versus 6.1 mg/L.

## Mouse data: the RCD-high macrophage state

The molecular part used single-cell, single-nucleus, bulk and 10x Visium spatial datasets from mouse models of permanent and transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (GSE174574 and GSE233815) [1]. Integrated analysis resolved 22 clusters annotated into 18 major cell classes. Myeloid and glial compartments carried a disproportionate share of post-ischemic transcriptional change, including upregulated NF-κB-mediated TNF signaling, apoptotic, complement, hypoxia, reactive oxygen species and glycolytic programs.

The RCD-high macrophage state showed coordinated expression of inflammasome and pyroptosis-associated genes (Nlrp3, Pycard, Casp1, Gsdmd, Il1b) and phagocytic markers (Cd68, Mertk, Ctsb) [1]. According to the authors, it was concentrated at later inferred myeloid pseudotime, carried NF-κB/STAT-associated regulatory programs and metabolic remodeling, and had extensive predicted interactions with glial and vascular cells.

Spatial mapping showed localized signals of this state in post-ischemic brain tissue, with partially overlapping distributions across related myeloid states [1]. The clinical data come from patients, while the cellular and spatial findings come from mouse datasets; the work is observational.

## Sources

1. [Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology](https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2026.1981135)
2. [bioengineer.org](https://bioengineer.org/study-identifies-inflammatory-macrophage-state-linked-to-secondary-ischemic-stroke-injury)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-45040e9ad22430aec956ec59_hebei_university_hospital/