title: A case-control analysis of intra-arterial urokinase thrombolysis in acute cardioembolic stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intra-arterial urokinase (IA-UK) thrombolysis is frequently given in Japan to selected patients with acute cerebral artery occlusion. However, it is not clear whether or not IA-UK thrombolysis has an efficacy for acute stroke patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of IA-UK thrombolysis in acute cardioembolic stroke patients, by performing a case-control analysis using data from Japan's Multicenter Stroke Investigator's Collaboration (J-MUSIC).
  
  
  METHODS
  16,922 acute ischemic stroke patients were enrolled into J-MUSIC. From these patients, we selected 91 patients (UK group) who met the following criteria: treatment with IA-UK; 20-75 years of age; cardioembolic stroke; presenting with a carotid stroke; admission within 4.5 h of symptom onset, and a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 5-22 points on admission. A control group of 182 patients without IA-UK treatment and matched to the NIHSS score, gender, and age was chosen. We compared the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at discharge and the mortality between the 2 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both groups, the mean age was 65 +/- 8 years, and the median NIHSS score was 14. The mean interval between symptom onset and UK administration was 3.4 +/- 1.3 h, and the IA-UK dose was 392,000 +/- 200,000 units. The mRS score at discharge was lower in the UK group than in the control group (mean, SD, median; 2.8, 2.9, 2 in UK group vs. 3.3, 1.8, 4, in the control, respectively p = 0.031). A favorable outcome (mRS of 0-2) was more frequently observed in the UK group (50.5%) than in the control group (34.1%, p = 0.0124). No difference in the mortality rate was seen between the UK group (11.0%) and the control group (13.3%). As well, there was no difference in the length of hospital stay between the UK group (46 +/- 41 days, mean +/- SD) and the control group (42 +/- 42 days, mean +/- SD).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IA-UK thrombolytic therapy may improve the outcome in hyperacute cardioembolic stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: Cerebrovascular Division, Department of Medicine, National Cardiovascular Center, Suita-City, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minematsu
authors.forename: Takenori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator