Serum Irisin Levels and Its Relationship with Spasticity Severity in Chronic Stroke Patients

Objective  Irisin is a myokine released from muscles by exercise and it has been shown to be a prognostic indicator in acute stroke patients. However, irisin's relationship with the chronic phase of stroke and spasticity has not been studied yet. We aimed to determine the serum level of irisin to examine its relationship with the functional status and severity of spasticity in patients with chronic stroke, and to compare these with healthy controls. Materials and Methods  A total of 70 (35 chronic stroke and 35 control patients) patients were included in the study. The blood serum irisin levels of the patients and the controls were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, their functional status was evaluated with the modified Rankin scale (mRS), and spasticity severity using the modified Ashworth scale (MAS). Results  The mean serum irisin levels of the stroke and the control groups were 6.20 ± 2.2 and 5.45 ± 2.3, respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference ( p  > 0.05). No significant correlation was found between the serum level of irisin and the severity of spasticity and functional status, assessed by the mRS in stroke patients. Conclusion  These results showed that irisin levels in chronic stroke patients were similar to controls, and there was no relationship between the severity of spasticity and functional status and irisin level.