Biomarkers as Prognostic Factors of Silent, Cerebral Infarctions in Patients Undergoing High-thromboembolic-risk Transcatheter Interventions (PRINCESS)

September 24, 2026 updated by: Stergios Tzikas, Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki

Background: The transcatheter interventions with high thromboembolic risk, as transcatheter carotid angioplasty or transcatheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias are associated with asymptomatic strokes- silent strokes. The silent strokes are cerebral infarctions with small diameter which are diagnosed with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Silent cerebral infarctions (SCIs) are associated with neurological deficits, cognitive impairment, high mortality and high risk of dementia. There are biomarkers, as neuron specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilaments (NFLs) which are indicated for the prognosis of these patients.

Aim: The aim of this study is the prognostic role of biomarkers NSE and NFLs in patients undergoing high-thromboembolic-risk transcatheter interventions. This study will assess the hypothesis that the level of these biomarkers could predict the development of SCIs and the long-term cognitive impairment.

Study type - materials: This study is a prospective, observational study. Patients undergoing highthromboembolic-risk transcatheter interventions will be included in this study.

Protocol: All the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients will be recorded. Blood samples will be obtained, 24 hours pre-interventionally and 24 hours post-interventionally. The blood samples will be centrifugated and will be freezed at -80 οC for the measurement of biomarkers. MRI will be conducted 24 hours pre- and postinterventionally. The neurological assessment will be conducted with the use of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaires, 24 hours pre-interventionally, 24 hours and 6 months postinterventionally.

Outcomes: The primary outcome is the association between level of biomarkers and the development of SCIs in MRI post-procedurally. Secondary outcomes concern the probable association of biomarkers with the cognitive impairment. The data will be assessed with statistical analysis and will be interpreted. The results of this study will be published with the view to create algorithms and prognostic tools for appropriate management of these patients.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Stergios Tzikas, Associate Professor of Cardiology
  • Phone Number: 002313312344
  • Email: tzikas@auth.gr

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Alexandros Evangeliou, Resident fo Cardiology
  • Phone Number: 00306977598469
  • Email: apevange@auth.gr

Study Locations

  • Greece
      • Thessaloniki, Greece, 54642
        • Recruiting
        • Third Department of Cardiology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
        • Contact:
          • Stergios Tzikas, Associate Professor of Cardiology
          • Phone Number: 002313312344
          • Email: tzikas@auth.gr
        • Contact:
          • Alexandros Evangeliou, Resident of Cardiology
          • Phone Number: 00306977598469
          • Email: apevange@auth.gr
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Vassilios Vassilikos
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Stergios Tzikas
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Alexandros Evangeliou
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Christos Karkos

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients undergoing high-thromboembolic-risk transcatheter interventions (Carotid scenting and cardiac ablation procedure for cardiac arrhythmias.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age > 18 years
  2. Signed consent
  3. Agreement on monitoring required by the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Age < 18 years
  2. Patients with known malignancies
  3. Patients who are unable or unwilling to give consent

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: CASE_CONTROL
  • Time Perspectives: PROSPECTIVE

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Patients with new silent strokes at post-procedural MRI
Procedure: High-thromboembolic-risk transcatheter interventions

Patients diagnosed with carotid artery disease who will undergo transcatheter revascularization surgery and patients with cardiac arrhythmias who will undergo transcatheter ablation procedure will be enrolled.
Patients without new silent strokes at post-procedural MRI
Procedure: High-thromboembolic-risk transcatheter interventions

Patients diagnosed with carotid artery disease who will undergo transcatheter revascularization surgery and patients with cardiac arrhythmias who will undergo transcatheter ablation procedure will be enrolled.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Difference in serum neuron-specific enolase concentration between participants with and without new silent cerebral infarcts
Time Frame: Blood sampling and brain MRI at 24 hours before and 24 hours after the procedure; comparison based on the 24-hour post-procedural NSE concentration.

In participants undergoing carotid artery stenting, serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) concentration at 24 hours after the procedure will be compared between participants with and without new silent cerebral infarcts. NSE will be measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Concentrations and the between-group difference will be expressed in ng/mL.
Blood sampling and brain MRI at 24 hours before and 24 hours after the procedure; comparison based on the 24-hour post-procedural NSE concentration.
Difference in serum neurofilament light chain concentration between participants with and without new silent cerebral infarcts
Time Frame: Blood sampling and brain MRI at 24 hours before and 24 hours after the procedure; comparison based on the 24-hour post-procedural NfL concentration

In participants undergoing carotid artery stenting, serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) concentration at 24 hours after the procedure will be compared between participants with and without new silent cerebral infarcts. NfL will be measured using a dot blot assay. Concentrations and the between-group difference will be expressed in μg/mL.

New silent cerebral infarcts are defined as new ischemic lesions on post-procedural diffusion-weighted brain MRI that were absent on baseline MRI, without corresponding new clinical neurological symptoms.
Blood sampling and brain MRI at 24 hours before and 24 hours after the procedure; comparison based on the 24-hour post-procedural NfL concentration

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Correlation between serum neuron-specific enolase concentration and change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment score
Time Frame: 24 hours before and 24 hours after the procedure.

The correlation between serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) concentration at 24 hours after the procedure and the change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) total score will be assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

NSE will be measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and expressed in ng/mL.

MoCA total scores range from 0 to 30 points, with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance. Change will be calculated as the 24-hour post-procedural score minus the pre-procedural score; negative values indicate deterioration
24 hours before and 24 hours after the procedure.
Correlation between serum neurofilament light chain concentration and change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment score
Time Frame: 24 hours before and 24 hours after the procedure.

The correlation between serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) concentration at 24 hours after the procedure and the change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) total score will be assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

NfL will be measured using a dot blot assay and expressed in μg/mL.

MoCA total scores range from 0 to 30 points, with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance. Change will be calculated as the 24-hour post-procedural score minus the pre-procedural score; negative values indicate deterioration.
24 hours before and 24 hours after the procedure.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 10, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 5, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 24, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 24, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 5141

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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