Inflammatory Markers and Prognosis After Cerebral Thrombectomy in Large Vessel Occlusion

The goal of this observational study is to describe the local change in interleukin-6 (IL-6) across a blood clot in adults with acute ischemic stroke caused by anterior circulation large vessel occlusion who are undergoing mechanical thrombectomy.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Is the level of IL-6 different in arterial blood collected beyond the clot compared with arterial blood collected before the clot during mechanical thrombectomy?
• Is the trans-thrombus IL-6 difference associated with functional independence 90 days after stroke and with complications related to reperfusion injury? There is no comparison group and no experimental treatment. Researchers will compare paired blood samples collected from opposite sides of the clot in the same participant. Blood collected from a peripheral vein at hospital admission will be used only as a supportive reference for systemic inflammation.

Participants will:

• Receive standard mechanical thrombectomy and stroke care determined by their treating clinical team.
• Have small blood samples collected at planned time points, including paired arterial blood samples collected during the thrombectomy procedure.
• Have clinical and imaging information collected from their medical records and have functional status assessed 90 days after stroke.

The study will not delay or change standard stroke treatment.