SynthesisBrain and behavior2026
Association Between Peripheral IL-6 Levels in the Acute Stage of Stroke and Poststroke Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Brain and behavior, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
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8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundInterleukin-6 (IL-6) has been reported to be associated with depression; however, whether higher peripheral levels of IL-6 are associated with poststroke depression (PSD) remains controversial. To date, correlative meta-analyses of the relationship between IL-6 levels and PSD are lacking.
methodsWe performed a comprehensive search of databases to explore qualified studies reporting IL-6 levels in the acute phase of stroke and PSD before November 2024. The standard mean deviation (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to detect differences in peripheral IL-6 concentrations between PSD patients and non-PSD patients.
resultsA total of 22 studies including 4928 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The results revealed that PSD patients had significantly higher peripheral IL-6 levels in the acute phase of stroke than non-PSD patients did (SMD = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.42-0.90). Higher IL-6 levels were detected in patients with PSD than in non-PSD patients whether the assessment of depressive symptoms was conducted within 3 months or later, but not at the time of discharge (at discharge: SMD = 1.76, 95% CI: -0.42-3.94, p = 0.11; ≤ 3 months: SMD = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.50-4.12, p < 0.001; > 3 months: SMD = 3.17, 95% CI: 0.62-5.71, p < 0.05). The result of serum for measuring peripheral IL-6 concentration was significant (SMD = 3.17, 95% CI = [1.63, 4.72], p < 0.001); however, plasma was not (SMD = 3.14, 95% CI = [-0.13, 6.40], p = 0.06). In addition, HAMD seemed to be more suitable for evaluating depressive symptoms than BDI-FS (HAMD: SMD = 3.31, 95% CI = [1.86, 4.75], p < 0.001; BDI-FS: SMD = 1.22, 95% CI = [-0.18, 2.62], p = 0.09). The sample collection time was the source of high heterogeneity (the subgroup of sample collection time within 1 day: I
conclusionHigher peripheral IL-6 concentrations in the acute stage of stroke are closely related to the risk of PSD; collecting samples within 1 day after stroke onset and evaluating depression post discharge are recommended.
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