Increased Serum Complement C3 Levels Are Associated With Adverse Clinical Outcomes After Ischemic Stroke

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Immunology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• The role of complement C3 in ischemic stroke prognosis is not well understood.
• Complement C3 is known to be involved in inflammation and ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively investigate the association between serum complement C3 levels and adverse clinical outcomes in ischemic stroke patients.
• To determine if serum C3 can serve as a prognostic biomarker for ischemic stroke.

Main Methods:

• Serum C3 levels were measured in 3474 ischemic stroke patients from 26 hospitals.
• Clinical outcomes, including death and major disability (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3), were assessed at 3 months post-stroke.
• Multivariate analyses, including spline regression, were used to evaluate the association between C3 levels and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Elevated serum C3 levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes (composite of death/major disability) after multivariate adjustment.
• Each standard deviation increase in log-transformed C3 was linked to a 13% higher risk of the primary outcome.
• Adding serum C3 to conventional risk factors improved the prediction of adverse outcomes.

Conclusions:

• High serum C3 levels at baseline are linked to increased risks of adverse clinical outcomes at 3 months post-ischemic stroke.
• Serum complement C3 shows potential as a valuable prognostic biomarker for ischemic stroke patients.