The prognostic value of combined NT-pro-BNP levels and NIHSS scores in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
OBJECTIVE
Determining the prognoses of patients with acute ischemic stroke is difficult. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether the combined assessment of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) variables is relevant to the prognosis of patients with acute cerebral ischemic infarction in-hospital.


METHODS
We enrolled 122 patients who were within three days of onset of acute ischemic stroke. We measured the plasma NT-pro-BNP level of each patient within 72 hours and recorded the NIHSS score on admission. The factors associated with death were investigated using a multivariate logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
Twenty-three patients (18.85%) died during hospitalization. The frequency of atrial fibrillation (AF), the NIHSS score on admission (8.69±4.87 in the survival group vs. 14.48±2.54 in the deceased group, p<0.001) and the plasma NT-pro-BNP level (median: 926.30 pg/mL in the survival group vs. 3,280 pg/mL in the deceased group, p<0.001; Lg NT-pro-BNP 2.82±0.66 in the survival group vs. 3.46±0.52 in the deceased group, p<0.001) were each significantly higher in the deceased group than in the survival group. The optimal cut-off levels for the NT-pro-BNP level and NIHSS score to distinguish the deceased group from the survival group were 1,583.50 pg/mL and 12.5, respectively. Patients with both elevated NT-pro-BNP levels (>1,583.50 pg/mL) and NIHSS scores on admission (NIHSS >12.5) had a substantially higher mortality rate than those without elevated NT-pro-BNP levels and NIHSS scores (89.47% vs. 9.84%, p<0.001). A multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that a NT-pro-BNP level >1,583.50 pg/mL (OR, 5.001; 95% CI, 1.233 to 20.287, p=0.024) and a NIHSS score >12.5 (OR, 1.465; 95% CI, 1.191 to 1.801, p<0.001) were each independent factors associated with in-hospital death.


CONCLUSIONS
The plasma NT-pro-BNP level and the NIHSS score added independent and incremental contributions to the prognostic stratification of patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Department of Neurology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Medical University, China. cxyong77@163.com
Xingyong
X
Chen
Xu
X
Zhan
Mingfeng
M
Chen
Huixing
H
Lei
Yingzhou
Y
Wang
De
D
Wei
Xiulong
X
Jiang
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.) / Q000592:standards; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D014481:United States
D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain