title: Acute post-stroke adiponectin in relation to stroke severity, progression and 6 month functional outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circulating adiponectin (ADPN) has been inversely associated with the risk of coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke (IS), due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic properties. Recent experimental studies have suggested that ADPN may as well exert  cerebroprotective properties in brain ischemia, therefore modifying disease outcome. We investigated whether acute post-stroke ADPN in humans might be associated with disease severity, progression and outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum ADPN was measured in 82 consecutive acute IS patients.  Severity at presentation and stroke progression within the first week were evaluated according to internationally agreed definitions. Disability and functional outcomes were assessed on months 1, 3 and 6 using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and Barthel index (BI). Additional data included  information on infarct size, mortality, recurrent IS and mental state.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher ADPN was indicative of greater disability (mRS) on month 1 (OR=1·141, 95% CI=1·012-1·286, p=0·031), but this result was not replicated using the BI. ADPN  was not found to be associated with either stroke severity, clinical progression, infarct size, recurrent IS, mortality, mental state, disability or functional outcome during the 6 month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite previous experimental evidence, serum ADPN measured shortly after  an acute IS in humans does not seem to reliably predict disease severity, progression or outcome. The concept that circulating ADPN may beneficially modify long-term outcome of an acute IS may not be the case for human stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Patras, 26500 Rion-Patras, Greece. smarousi@upatras.gr
authors.forename: Stella G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Marousi
authors.forename: Georgios L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Theodorou
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karakantza
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zampakis
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papathanasopoulos
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ellul
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers