Abstract:Aim To explore the differences in metabolic indicators among patients with intracranial atherosclerosis of different severity levels and their predictive value for cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion. MethodsA total of 310 patients with suspected intracranial atherosclerosis who were treated in our hospital from February 2022 to February 2024 were selected, and they were divided into the normal group (n=155) and the occlusion group (n=155) based on whether cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion occurred. Patients in the occlusion group were divided into grade 1 group (n=40), grade 2 group (n=78) and grade 3 group (n=37) according to the grade of intracranial atherosclerosis.The clinical data and serum calcium and phosphorus metabolism indicator levels of patients with different grades of atherosclerosis were compared. The generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the relationship between the levels of serum calcium and phosphorus metabolism indicators and the grade of atherosclerosis. The clinical data of the occlusion group and the normal group were compared. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the factors affecting cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion. The dose-response relationship between the levels of serum calcium and phosphorus metabolism indicators and cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion was analyzed. The differences in cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion under different grades of atherosclerosis and different levels of serum calcium and phosphorus metabolism indicators were compared. The generalized linear model was used to analyze the influence of the severity of intracranial atherosclerosis on the association between cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion and the levels of serum calcium and phosphorus metabolism indicators. Results With the increase of atherosclerosis grading level, the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), blood phosphorus, calcium-phosphorus product, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) gradually increased, while the levels of apolipoprotein A (ApoA) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) gradually decreased (P<0.05). The results of GAM analysis showed that blood phosphorus, calcium-phosphorus product and iPTH had a positive effect on atherosclerosis grading. Compared with normal group, the levels of FBG, hs-CRP, ApoB, TC, TG, LDLC, blood phosphorus, calcium-phosphorus product and iPTH were significantly higher in occlusion group, and the levels of ApoA and HDLC were significantly lower (P<0.05). Compared with the normal group, there were significantly fewer patients with atherosclerosis grade 0 in the occlusion group (P<0.05). ApoA≤1.02 g/L, ApoB>1.09 g/L, TC>5.31 mmol/L, TG>2.53 mmol/L, LDLC>3.12 mmol/L, HDLC≤1.26 mmol/L, blood phosphorus>2.17 mmol/L, calcium-phosphorus product>4.53 (mmol/L)2, iPTH>327.49 ng/L and atherosclerosis grade≥1 were the risk factors for cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion (P<0.05). The correlation intensity of blood phosphorus, calcium-phosphorus product, iPTH and cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion showed a non-linear dose-response relationship (P<0.001). With the increase of atherosclerosis grading, the positive correlation between cerebral artery stenosis and blood phosphorus, calcium-phosphorus product and iPTH gradually increased. Conclusion There were significant differences in the levels of metabolic indicators among patients with intracranial atherosclerosis of different severity levels, and they had predictive value for cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion.