title: The impact of recanalization on ischemic stroke outcome: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  For a biomarker to serve as an auxiliary or surrogate outcome measure, it must be tightly correlated with and causally related to functional clinical outcome. Vessel recanalization is a potential surrogate outcome marker for functional outcome in trials of thrombolytic and mechanical recanalization therapies in acute stroke, but the correlation of recanalization and clinical outcome has not been previously systematically reviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Through Medline search, we identified and abstracted recanalization and outcome data from all articles published between 1985 and 2002 that assessed vessel recanalization, either spontaneous or therapeutically induced, in acute ischemic stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-three studies encompassing 2066 patients reported recanalization rates. Recanalization rates categorized according to intervention were: spontaneous (24.1%), intravenous fibrinolytic (46.2%), intra-arterial fibrinolytic (63.2%), combined intravenous-intra-arterial (67.5%), and mechanical (83.6%). Clinical outcome data categorized by success or failure in achieving recanalization was available from 33 articles encompassing 998 patients. Good functional outcomes at 3 months were more frequent in recanalized versus nonrecanalized patients with odds ratio of 4.43 (95% CI, 3.32 to 5.91). Three-month mortality was reduced in recanalized patients (odds ratio, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.35). Rates of symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation did not differ between the 2 groups (odds ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.71 to 1.74).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Formal meta-analysis confirms a strong correlation between recanalization and outcome in acute ischemic stroke. Recanalization is strongly associated with improved functional outcomes and reduced mortality. These findings suggest that recanalization is an appropriate biomarker of therapeutic activity in early phase trials of thrombolytic treatment in acute ischemic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Joung-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Saver
mesh_terms: D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome