Plasma gelsolin levels and 1-year mortality after first-ever ischemic stroke

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Neurology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Plasma gelsolin depletion is linked to adverse outcomes in critically ill patients.
• Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and mortality worldwide.
• Understanding prognostic biomarkers in stroke is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in plasma gelsolin levels following ischemic stroke.
• To evaluate the association between plasma gelsolin levels and stroke outcomes, including mortality and neurological deficit.
• To assess the predictive value of plasma gelsolin for long-term mortality after ischemic stroke.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study including 172 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke and 50 healthy controls.
• Plasma samples collected within 24 hours of stroke onset and measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
• Multivariate analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to evaluate the relationship between plasma gelsolin levels and clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

• Plasma gelsolin levels were significantly lower in stroke patients compared to healthy controls.
• Lower plasma gelsolin levels independently predicted 1-year mortality (OR, 0.945; P = .0002).
• Plasma gelsolin levels were negatively associated with NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and C-reactive protein levels, and showed predictive value for mortality (AUC, 0.738), improving upon NIHSS score prediction.

Conclusions:

• Plasma gelsolin levels are reduced after ischemic stroke.
• Plasma gelsolin serves as an independent predictor of 1-year mortality in ischemic stroke patients.
• Plasma gelsolin is a valuable complementary biomarker for predicting mortality and assessing stroke severity.