title: Inflammatory response after acute ischemic stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to characterize the time course of inflammatory parameters after acute ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  We serially determined high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and leukocyte counts at 10 time points between days 1 and 90 after ischemic stroke and in control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CRP did not significantly change, whereas fibrinogen increased after stroke. At all time points, CRP and fibrinogen were higher than in healthy control subjects, but not risk factor control subjects. The leukocyte count declined after stroke and was significantly elevated as compared to both control groups only on day 1 but not later. NIHSS levels were positively correlated with CRP and fibrinogen at all time points. Larger infarcts were associated with a higher CRP and leukocyte counts on day 90. Treatment with aspirin was associated with lower values for all three inflammatory parameters in the subacute phase after ischemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The course after stroke was different between the parameters of inflammation. Only the leukocytes followed the paradigm of an acute phase response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Klinikum Ludwigshafen, Bremserstrasse 79, Ludwigshafen 67063, Germany. marquarl@klilu.de
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marquardt
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruf
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mansmann
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buggle
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kallenberg
authors.forename: Armin J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Grau
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein