Evaluation of serum levels of homocysteine and C-reactive protein in patients with ischemic stroke.

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the world. Plasma homocysteine is an emerging risk factor for stroke. Also, previous studies have shown that serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are significantly associated with mortality and function in patients with ischemic stroke. In the present study, we examined homocysteine and serum CRP levels in patients with ischemic stroke. This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 100 patients with ischemic stroke. Blood samples were taken in the first 24 hours of a stroke to measure homocysteine and CRP. The Axis homocysteine ELISA kit (IBL, Germany) measured plasma homocysteine. Doppler ultrasound of cerebral arteries was also performed in the first five days. Independent chi-square, ANOVA, and t-tests were used to analyze the data. It was observed that the NIHSS mean was not significantly different from the age of the patients (P = 0.876). Significant relationship was not observed between NIHSS level with HTN (p = 0.070), HLP (p = 0.103), DM (p = 0.999), history of CVA (p = 0.946), history of MI (p = 0.262), smoking (p = 0.109), and the number of CVA risk factors (p = 0.383). Data analysis showed that homocysteine level was significantly associated with hypertension (p = 0.021). There was also a significant relationship between serum CRP level and the location of internal carotid artery stenosis (p = 0.015) and middle cerebral artery (p = 0.006). In general, this study showed that increased homocysteine in the high range in patients with stroke has a high frequency. Also, stenosis of the internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery is more common in patients with ischemic stroke whose serum CRP levels are high. This finding suggests that abnormal CRP may be more associated with stenosis of some cerebral arteries.