Human urinary kallidinogenase decreases the incidence of post-stroke cognitive impairment in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Abstract

Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a common symptom of stroke and affects the quality of life and prognosis of stroke survivors. In our study, we evaluated the efficacy of Human urinary kallidinogenase (HUK) on cognitive function in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients, and discussed the role of cystatin C (CysC) in improving PSCI. We enrolled a retrospective cohort with prospective follow-up. From August 2020 to May 2021, 130 patients completed the final follow-up. Among them, 61 patients received HUK combined with basic treatment, which we defined as the HUK group, and 69 patients received basic treatment, which we defined as the control group. We compared the changes of CysC, urea nitrogen and creatinine levels after one week of treatment between the two groups. Cognitive function was assessed by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at 3-month after AIS. No significant differences in demographic data and Laboratory tests between two groups before treatment. A total of 67 patients (51.5%) were diagnosed as PSCI at 3-month follow-up, among which, 25 patients were in the HUK group and 42 patients were in the control group. Compared with the control group (60.9%), the incidence of PSCI was significantly lower in the HUK group (41.0%). In addition, the serum CysC level after a week of treatment significantly decreased from baseline in HUK group (p = 0.037), in comparison, the serum CysC level in the control group was basically unchanged (p = 0.951). There was a significant negative correlation between MoCA score and the level of CysC after treatment (p = 0.003, r = -0.373). HUK can reduce the risk of PSCI at 3-month in AIS patients. The decrease of serum CysC level may be one of the mechanisms by which HUK reduces the incidence of PSCI.