en Cellular and molecular Neuroscience Cellular and molecular Neuroscience Original Original <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Introduction: </strong>To evaluate Low-Molecular-Weight (LMW) DNA as a possible prognostic biomarker in acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.<br> <strong>Methods:</strong> LMW DNA samples were isolated from plasma and cerebrospinal fluid by phenol deproteinization, analyzed by gradient polyacrylamide electrophoresis and quantified by spectrophotometry.<br> <strong>Results: </strong>Two common types of stroke, i.e. ischemic and hemorrhagic, differ by the temporal dynamics of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) accumulation. In hemorrhagic stroke, an initial increase in LMW DNA levels, most likely reflects an extent of the tissue damage, while in ischemic patients, the LMW DNA levels increase in parallel with the damage caused by hypoxia and subsequent compensatory reperfusion.<br> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> These time-course data specify optimal assessment windows with maximum differentiating power for stroke outcomes: 24-48 hours post-event for ischemic stroke, and as close as possible to the moment of hospital admission for hemorrhagic stroke. These data also indicate the role of apoptosis in the formation of ischemic focus.</div> Acute cerebrovascular accident, Cerebral ischemia, Hemorrhagic stroke, Cell-free DNA, Apoptosis 805 810 http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1639-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Irina Vasilyeva iravasilyeva@hotmail.com 13700319475328460030704 13700319475328460030704 Yes Laboratory of Cancer Chemoprevention and Oncopharmacology, N.N.Petrov National Medical Research Center of Oncology, St.-Petersburg, Russia. Vladimir Bespalov bespalov_niio@mail.ru 13700319475328460030705 13700319475328460030705 No Laboratory of Cancer Chemoprevention and Oncopharmacology, N.N.Petrov National Medical Research Center of Oncology, St.-Petersburg, Russia. Ancha Baranova aancha@gmail.com 13700319475328460030706 13700319475328460030706 No Department of George, School of Systemic Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA. Igor Voznyuk voznjouk@yandex.ru 13700319475328460030707 13700319475328460030707 No Department of Acute Cerebrovascular Pathology and Emergency Neurology, Saint-Petersburg I.I. Dzhanelidze Research Institute for Emergency Medicine, St.-Petersburg, Russia. Denis Baranenko denis.baranenko@niuitmo.ru 13700319475328460030708 13700319475328460030708 No Department of Acute Cerebrovascular Pathology and Emergency Neurology, Saint-Petersburg I.I. Dzhanelidze Research Institute for Emergency Medicine, St.-Petersburg, Russia.