title: Ability of serum C-reactive protein and white blood cell cout in predicting acute schemic stroke. A short -term follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and long-term morbidity. The aim of the present study was to determine the ability of baseline serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC) values in predicting the outcome of acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study consisted of patients with first AIS referred to Poursina Hospital, Rasht, Iran. Severity of stroke was determined according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Stroke Scale at the time of admission. Serum CRP levels and WBC count were measured at the time of admission. All patients were followed-up for 90 days after discharge and the severity of stroke was assessed using modified Rankin Scale. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used for calculating the most appropriate cutoff point of CRP and WBC count for differentiating patients with and without poor outcome at the end of the study period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 53 out of 102 patients (52%) had poor outcome. The most appropriate cutoff value for CRP in differentiating patients with and without poor outcome was 8.5mg/l (sensitivity: 73.1%, specificity: 69.4%) and for WBC the difference did not reach to a significant level. The cutoff points of CRP > 10.5 mg/ml yielded a predictive ability at sensitivity: 75%, specificity: 63.8% whereas predictive ability of WBC for mortality was at a borderline level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that high levels of serum CRP in AIS at the time of admission is associated with poor prognosis. However, this study found no ability for WBC in predicting AIS outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bakhshayesh-Eghbali
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed-Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Roudbary
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Seddigheh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basir Jafari
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyedeh-Parand
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Nabizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Naghmeh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naderi-Asrami
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sohrabnejad
keywords: C reactive protein; Ischemic Stroke; Prognosis. Outcome; White blood cell count