Plasma C-Reactive Protein Level and Outcome of Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated by Intravenous Thrombolysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) level in predicting prognosis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is not yet established. This study is aiming to investigate the relationship between the plasma CRP level and outcome of AIS patients receiving IVT. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> PubMed and EMBASE were searched for relevant studies that evaluated the relationship between the CRP level and outcome of AIS patients receiving IVT. STATA 12.0 was used to pool the data for meta-analysis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In total, 8 studies were included. Six studies reported a positive relationship between the high CRP level and unfavorable outcome at 3 months. Five studies associated the high plasma CRP level with high mortality at 3 months. And meta-analysis further confirmed that the high CRP level was related to unfavorable outcomes (odds ratio [OR] = 1.716, 95% CI: 1.170–2.517, <i>p</i> = 0.006) and mortality (OR = 2.751, 95% CI: 1.613–4.693, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) at 3 months. However, an elevated CRP level was not found to increase the risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> A high plasma CRP level was associated with a 3-month poor outcome of AIS patients treated with IVT. CRP may be used as a biomarker for the risk stratification of AIS patients as candidates receiving IVT or other alternative therapy such as mechanical thrombectomy.