HGF and atherosclerosis: These pleiotropic proteins have previously been implicated in atherosclerosis (OSM and CXCL5),17,18 endothelial barrier failure (OSM),19 and response to endothelial injury (HGF).20 In terms of stroke, one small study found CXCL5 to be elevated in the cerebral spinal fluid but not in serum within 24 hours after ischemic stroke,21 and elevated baseline levels of HGF were associated with an increased risk of incident stroke and coronary heart disease in a prospective cohort.20 As far as we are aware, plasma protein levels of OSM have not been analyzed in clinical ischemic stroke cohorts to date.