Metanephrine concentration in blood as a lethality predictor after ischemic stroke
The study purpose is the determination of prognostic significance of the metanephrine (MN) level in blood of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) as a predictor of post-stroke lethality. A prospective cohort study involved 70 patients with AIS. The analysis of MN blood level was performed by ELISA. It was used Kaplan-Meier survival for comparing the data of patients with high (>22 pg/L) and low (≤22 pg/L) MN content at the1st day. Survival differences in subgroups of patients with cerebral infarction with these metanephrine levels at follow-up of 180 days were statistically significant; the log-rank test p=0.010. High concentration of MN in blood (> 22 pg/L) was detected in 83.3% of died patients, and only in 17.1% of survivors: odds ratio = 6.60 {95% confidence interval 1.33 to 32.84}; p = 0.021. Differences survival in subgroups of patients with high (≥ 27 pg/L) and low (< 27 pg/L) levels of MN on the 10th day of hospitalization during follow-up of 180 days were also statistically significant; the log-rank test p = 0.042. The results suggest a potential role at the determination of MN level in blood to improve the long-term mortality risk stratification of patients with AIS.