The first objective of this study was to determine correlations between EPC and major cellular and cytokine biomarkers of neuroinflammation (intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, vascular adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, E-selectin, TNF-α, IL-6, endothelin (ET)-1), and tissue injury/remodeling (MMP-9) in early stroke. The gene discussed is MMP9; the disease is Stroke.