Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammation marker, which has been implicated in stroke severity, response to stroke, or a mixture of both.
OBJECTIVE:
This study has been conducted in order to clarify early CRP essay in relation to the type of acute stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic), onset duration, severity, stroke disability and carotid stenosis.
METHODS:
A cross sectional randomized study included 50 patients with stroke (23 male and 27 females: mean age 54.7 + 10.3 years). They were classified into having ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes, deficit in less or more than 12hrs (within 24 hrs), large or small size infarction, severe or non-severe disability and severe or non-severe carotid stenosis.
RESULTS:
There is more significant association of C-reactive protein with the ischemic (82.4%) than the hemorrhagic types (56.3%).There is significant association of CRP positivity in relation to the late onset duration of the deficit (> 12 hrs: 85.2%) in comparison to the early onset (≤ 12hrs: 60.9%). C-reactive protein level showed statistically significant association with the size of infarction (CRP is positive in 91.3% of the large size versus 63.6% of the small size). There is significant association of CRP level in relation to carotid stenosis (68.8% in severe stenosis versus 31.2% in non-severe ones). The short-term disability was significantly associated with CRP level (CRP is positive in 83.8% with severe disability versus 57.8% with the non-severe one).
CONCLUSION:
High CRP level at the admission of the acute stroke patient is more associated with the ischemic type, the late onset, the large size infarction, severe disability and severe carotid stenosis.