Pineal gland calcification confirmed by CT scan is associated with ischemic stroke

Abstract

Background. Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the most common debilitating neurological disorder worldwide. The ischemic injury causes inflammation and oxidative stress, and leads to apoptosis, necrosis and activation of autophagal pathways determining final infarct size. Melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, is a small molecule that acts as a free radical scavenger and performs antioxidant activities in several neurodegenerative diseases. Melatonin secretion reduces in aging due to pineal gland calcification and thus the calcification is a representative of reduced melatonin production. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the association of pineal gland calcification and stroke. Material and methods. An analytical cross sectional single centre study was conducted. Pineal gland calcification was assessed by CT scan in 179 patients with ischemic stroke and 177 hospital controls. Results. The mean age in the control and stroke groups were 58.18 and 61.2 years, respectively. Pineal gland calcification was found in 77.4% of subjects in the control group and 88.8% of the subjects in the stroke group. Pineal gland calcification, alone, was shown to significantly increase the risk of ischemic stroke (P=0.005; OR=2.3; 95% CI=1.2-4.1). Furthermore, after adjustment for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyper lipoedema, gender, and age, there was still a significant association of pineal gland calcification with ischemic stroke (P=0.04; OR=2.0; 95% CI=1.0-3.9). Conclusion. The evidence from the present study suggests that pineal gland calcification is associated with ischemic stroke.

Keywords

• stroke
• ischemic injury
• pineal gland calcification
• melatonin