Wide-range C-reactive protein efficacy in acute ischemic stroke patients

Objective - To compare the recently introduced wide-range C-reactive protein (wr-CRP) with the widely used high-sensitivity Behring Dade method (hs-CRP) in acute stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients. Materials and methods - A total of 119 consecutive patients admitted to a tertiary medical center with acute ischemic stroke/TIA were included in the study. Venous blood was obtained for both assays during the first 24 h, 3-5 days, as well as 3-6 months thereafter. Results - A highly significant correlation (r = 0.994, P < 0.0001) was found between the two methods even when analyzed at three different time points. In addition, a similar correlation was noted between these two assays and other commonly used biomarkers, including white blood cell count, Westergren's sedimentation rate and quantitative fibrinogen. Conclusion - Real-time, on-line and low-cost wr-CRP assay is a reasonable alternative to the Behring Dade hs-CRP method in acute stroke/TIA patients.