BACKGROUND: Cerebral infarction is poorly treated due to neuronal necrosis and secondary pathophysiological changes; for example, free radical production and inflammatory reactions.OBJECTIVE: To detect the levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor nccrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in elderly males with cerebral infarction.DESIGN: Non-randomized current control study.SETTING: Cadre Medical Department, Guizhou Provincial Peoples Hospital.PARTICIPANTS: Forty elderly males (65-89 years old) with cerebral infarction were selected from Cadre Medical Department, Guizhou Provincial Peoples Hospital from February 2004 to December 2006. All patients met the diagnostic criteria of cerebral infarction modified at the 4th National Cerebrovascular Disease Academic Meeting, and were diagnosed on the basis of CT or MRI tests. Furthermore, 35 elderly male inpatients (65-87 years old) without cerebral infarction were selected as the control group. Included subjects provided confirmed consent and did not have heart disease, diabetes mellitus, lipid disorder, acute trauma, infection, rheumatism, or other inflammatory diseases. The study was approved by the local ethics committee. There were no significant differences in age, blood pressure, and lipid levels between the cerebral infarction group and the control group (P>0.05), and this suggested that the baseline data of both groups were comparable.METHODS: Fasting venous blood was drawn from cerebral infarction patients 24 hours after cerebral infarction attack and from control subjects 24 hours after hospitalization. A latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect the levels of hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α in the serum.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The levels of hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α in the serum in both groups.RESULTS: Forty cerebral infarction patients and thirty-five control subjects were included in the final analysis without any loss. Levels of hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α in the cerebral infarction group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P