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White matter damage is associated with matrix metalloproteinases in vascular dementia
Rosenberg GA, Sullivan N, Esiri MM.. Stroke, 2001-05-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background and purpose Vascular disease causes multi-infarct dementia (MID) or Binswanger's disease (BD), the latter of which is a progressive form of vascular dementia (VaD) associated pathologically with fibrinoid and hyaline changes in brain arterioles with injury to the white matter. Clinically, BD patients have long-standing hypertension with disturbances of gait and intellect. Because matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important in cerebral infarction, we hypothesized that disturbances in the MMPs may be involved in VAD: Methods Brain tissues from 5 patients with VaD of the BD or multi-infarct type (MID) were immunostained with antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a microglial/macrophage cell marker (PG-M1), gelatinase A (MMP-2), stromelysin-1 (MMP-3), and gelatinase B (MMP-9).
Key findings
- Clinically, BD patients have long-standing hypertension with disturbances of gait and intellect.
- Because matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important in cerebral infarction, we hypothesized that disturbances in the MMPs may be involved in VAD: Methods Brain tissues from 5 patients with VaD of the BD or multi-infarct type (MID) were immunostained with antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a microglial/macrophage cell marker (PG-M1), gelatinase A (MMP-2), stromelysin-1 (MMP-3), and gelatinase B (MMP-9).
- Control tissues were from 8 elderly patients: 4 with strokes without dementia and 4 without neurological diseases.
- Results PG-M1+ cells appeared around infarcts in patients with strokes without dementia and in patients with VAD: In 2 of the 3 BD patients, PG-M1 cells were prominent near damaged arterioles and scattered diffusely in white matter.
Why it matters
This study examined brain tissue from 5 patients with vascular dementia and found evidence linking matrix metalloproteinases to white matter damage. It is a small postmortem study focused on vascular dementia, not Alzheimer's disease, and does not test any treatment.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Stroke) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Stroke: journal h-index 455 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2001 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 206 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.6 citations a year over 27 year(s) since 2001 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 13 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 16 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Margaret M. Esiri: h-index 93 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Oxford: institution h-index 2,205 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11340226) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Rosenberg, G. A., Sullivan, N., & Esiri, M. M. (2001). White matter damage is associated with matrix metalloproteinases in vascular dementia. Stroke. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.32.5.1162
Vancouver
Rosenberg GA, Sullivan N, Esiri MM. White matter damage is associated with matrix metalloproteinases in vascular dementia. Stroke. 2001. doi:10.1161/01.str.32.5.1162. PMID: 11340226.
BibTeX
@article{rosenberg2001-11340226,
author = {Rosenberg, G. A. and Sullivan, N. and Esiri, M. M.},
title = {{White matter damage is associated with matrix metalloproteinases in vascular dementia}},
journal = {Stroke},
year = {2001},
doi = {10.1161/01.str.32.5.1162},
pmid = {11340226},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.32.5.1162}
}
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