The serum homocysteine level in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) after thrombolysis and its relationship with clinical outcomes

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to investigate whether hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) affects the outcomes of the thrombolytic treatment for patients with AIS. METHODS: A sample of 120 AIS patients were recruited and grouped according to their serum homocysteine (Hcy) levels. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was obtained before treatment and 7 days after it to evaluate neurological outcomes; modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was obtained 12 weeks later to assess functional outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to demonstrate the relationship between serum Hcy level and the outcomes after tPA treatment. RESULTS: The serum Hcy level of 120 patients was of 27.57±20.17μmol/L. The NIHSS scores of the patients in the low Hcy level group were remarkably lower compared to those in the high-level group (p<0.05), after 7 days of treatment. In addition, the mRS scores of the patients in the low Hcy level group, after 12 weeks, were remarkably lower compared to those in the high-level group (p<0.01). ROC demonstrated that the serum Hcy level is related to the clinical outcomes of thrombolytic treatment with moderate specificity (80.3%) and sensitivity (58.2%). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, higher serum Hcy levels can indicate poorer clinical outcomes of thrombolytic treatment in patients with AIS.