Cohort Profile: A Prospective Study of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Emerging evidence highlights the role in the gut microbiota (GM), integral parts of the gut-brain axis, and plays in developing various complications in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The link between the GM and disease can be actively utilized in the diagnosis of poststroke complications. AIS-GM cohort is a prospective study focusing on the link between gut microbial signature and adverse outcomes in patients with AIS. From September 2020 to July 2021, a total of 507 AIS patients were enrolled, their clinical baseline data and faeces samples during hospitalization were collected, and poststroke outcomes were evaluated by a variety of questionnaires. At present, 395 faeces samples of AIS patients completed were collected, analyzed the composition of microbiota, and tracked the prognosis and neuropsychiatric complications of AIS patients. After the patient was discharged, the out-of-hospital follow up was conducted on the 90th days, then repeated once a year, which included the collections of fecal and blood samples and measurements of poststroke outcomes. AIS-GM cohort could provide an opportunity to observe the dynamic changes of GM after stroke. AIS-GM cohort contributes to deep understanding of risk factors for AIS and the relationship between GM and AIS outcomes. AIS-GM cohort can be used as a new tool to assess the prognosis of stroke and further predict the development of disease.