The role of eosinophils in stroke: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the factors that may have an impact on the prognosis of ischemic stroke. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 973 patients who were diagnosed with an ischemic stroke. The patients were divided into 6 groups according their eosinophil counts' level and occurred times. All patients were supervised by NIHSS score in three months. RESULTS Baseline characteristics of all study groups were comparable. Thirty-four patients in group 2 and group 5 had higher eosinophil counts. In addition, the patients experienced impaired function on the face, but no impairment of limbs. All patients in these groups recovered quicker than the other groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 169 patients in both group 3 and group 6 had lower eosinophil counts. These patients experienced functional impairment in limbs and difficulty recovering from the disease. The NIHSS score was lower in both group 2 and group 5, compared with group 3 and group 6 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that eosinophil counts may have a significant impact on outcomes in stroke patients. The data underscore the importance in further investigating eosinophil dysregulation as well as the potential relationship between eosinophil dysregulation and organ functions in stroke patients.