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Updated: May 19, 2026

Determining the Functional Status of the Corticospinal Tract Within One Week of Stroke
Published on: February 22, 2020
Serum level and prognostic value of neopterin in patients after ischemic stroke
Hung-Sheng Lin1, Tzu-Hsien Tsai, Chu-Feng Liu
1Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Background:
We hypothesized that serum level of neopterin is significantly predictive of prognostic outcome in patients after acute ischemic stroke (IS).
Methods:
Between November 2008 and May 2010, serum levels of neopterin were prospectively collected at 48 h after acute IS in 157 patients.
Results:
Serum neopterin levels were substantially higher in patients with severe neurological impairment [National institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥12] than in those with NIHSS <12 (p<0.008). Furthermore, Spearman's test showed a strongly positive correlation between neopterin level and NIHSS (p=0.003). Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that serum neopterin level was strongly and independently predictive of NIHSS ≥12 (p=0.002) at 48 h after acute IS and 90-day major adverse clinical outcome (defined as NIHSS≥12, recurrent stroke or death) (p=0.003).
Conclusion:
Serum level of neopterin was notably increased after acute IS. This biomarker was strongly and independently predictive of 90-day unfavorable clinical outcome in patients after acute IS.
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