Evaluating factor levels of fibrinogen, D-Dimer, and hs-CRP in serum or plasma of patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stoke

Purpose: Elevated levels of fibrinogen, D-Dimer, and High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein (hs-CRP) have been observed previously in the serum or plasma of patients with stroke, but the associations of these inflammatory cytokines with cognitive impairment after stroke are still keep unclear. We aimed to assess the correlations between the levels of fibrinogen, D-Dimer or hs-CRP and the severities of cognitive impairment after stroke, and to identify these serum or plasma factors as biomarkers that may aid in distinguishing the cognitive impairment of the patients after stroke and predicting the cognitive impairment progression as well as prognosis.

Method: Serum or plasma samples from 806 patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, aged from 55 to 75 years old, were analyzed for these factors including fibrinogen, D-Dimer and hs-CRP using Immunoturbidimetric Assay and Cardiac hs-CRP Assay, the scales of MMSE and MoCA were used to evaluate the overall functional status of stroke patients within 7 days (baseline) and at 90 days. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the correlations between these inflammatory cytokines and the scores of MMSE or MoCA.

Result: These three factors obviously elevated in serum or plasma of stroke patients. In the correlation analyses, increased levels of fibrinogen, D-Dimer and hs-CRP at baseline were associated with the scores of MMSE and MoCA in stroke patients after adjusting for confounding risk factors. There were trends toward higher levels in stroke patients with worse severity and faster progression of cognitive impairment.