Cystatin C is a potential predictor of unfavorable outcomes for cerebral ischemia with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator treatment: A multicenter prospective nested case–control study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore whether cystatin C (CysC) could be used as a potential predictor of clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA). We performed an observational study including a retrospective analysis of data from 125 AIS patients with intravenous thrombolysis. General linear models were applied to compare CysC levels between groups with different outcomes; logistic regression analysis and receiver-operating characteristic curves were adopted to identify the association between CysC and the therapeutic effects. Compared with the "good and sustained benefit" (GSB) outcome group (defined as ≥4-point reduction in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale or a score of 0-1 at 24h and 7days) and the "good functional outcome" (GFO) group (modified Rankin Scale score 0-2 at 90days), serum CysC baseline levels were increased in the non-GSB and non-GFO groups. Logistic regression analysis found that CysC was an independent negative prognostic factor for GSB (odds ratio[OR]0.010; p=0.005) and GFO (OR 0.011; p=0.021) after adjustment for potential influencing factors. Receiver-operating characteristic curves showed the CysC-involved combined models provided credible efficacy for predicting post-90-day favorable clinical outcome (area under the curve0.86; p<0.001). Elevated serum CysC is independently associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes after IV-tPA therapy in AIS. Our findings provide new insights into discovering potential mediators for neuropathological process or treatment in stroke.