Is plasma C3 and C4 levels useful in young cerebral ischemic stroke patients? Associations with prognosis at 3 months

Plasma complement C3 and C4 act as risk factor for vascular diseases related to atherosclerosis. The association C3 and C4 levels in young ischemic stroke patients with the prognosis were still not unknown. We conducted this study to establish the significance of admission C3 and C4 levels as a possible predictor of 3 months prognosis in young patients with acute ischemic stroke. We conducted this study in 1,451 young Chinese patients as determined by the modified Rankin Scale at 3 months. Bivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors of outcome in male and female patients. Stepwise logistic regression analysis confirmed only the lowest quartile of C3 level (0.17-0.90 g/L) was independently associated with prognosis in male patient after adjustment the confounding risk factors of stroke [0.558 (0.382-0.815); P = 0.003], but not the association for plasma C4 levels. Meanwhile, serum SUA and WBC concentrations, TIA history are typically related to prognosis at 3 months after acute ischemic stroke. Our analysis does provide compelling information regarding the baseline complement C3 levels in young ischemic stroke patients as possible predictors of early prognosis after 3 months of acute phase. Thus, our results must be seen as a hypothesis only and will have to be confirmed in larger trials.