Association between Serum C-reactive Protein Level with Intra and Extra Cerebral Vessels Stenosis in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

Previous studies have been shown that serum level of C-reactive protein (CRP) is significantly correlated with mortality and functional outcome in patients with ischemic stroke. Some studies point to specific vessels involvement according to different serum level CRP. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum C-reactive protein level with intra and extra cerebral vessels stenosis in acute ischemic stroke patients. In this cross-sectional study, 90 patients with acute nonembolic ischemic stroke were evaluated. The diagnosis was confirmed by physical examination, embolic refusal and neuroimaging. Blood samples for assessment of CRP were collected within 24 h after stroke. Doppler ultrasound was done in the first 5 days of stroke onset. To analyze the data, t-test and x2 test were used.The mean serum CRP level in patients with stenosis was 7.58±1.33µg/ ml and in patients without stenosis was 4.10±1.79 µg/ ml (p=0.004). Also, there was a significant statistical difference between CRP and stenosis (p=0.003). The more frequent stenotic vessels in patients with abnormal serum CRP level were ICA(Internal Carotid Artery), MCA(Middle Cereberal Artery) and ACA(Arterial Cerebral Artery) and in patients with normal serum CRP level were ACA, ICA and MCA. There was a significant statistical difference between abnormal serum CRP level and ICA stenosis (p=0.015) and MCA stenosis (p=0.006). Our results show that cerebral vessels stenosis is more frequent in ICA and MCA in patients with ischemic stroke. This finding shows that abnormal serum level of CRP has an association with some cerebral arteries stenosis.