Journal of Clinical and Analytical Medicine | O h r c i r g a i n e a s l e R 1 Müjgan Ercan 1 , Fatma Meriç Yılmaz 1,2 , Esra Fırat Oğuz 1 , Çiğdem Yücel 1 , Semra Öztürk Mungan 3 1 Department of Biochemistry, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, 2 Department of Biochemistry, Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Medicine, 3 Clinics of Neurology, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey Cystatin C in acute ischemic stroke Cystatın C levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke DOI: 10.4328/JCAM.5876 Received: 15.04.2018 Accepted: 21.05.2018 Published Online: 22.05.2018 Corresponding Author: Müjgan Ercan, Biochemistry Laboratory, Bozok University Faculty of Medicine, Adnan Menderes Street, 66200, Yozgat, Turkey. T.. +90 3542123801 E-Mail: mujganercan@hotmail.com ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9291-4197 Abstract Aim: Cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) are among the major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Cystatin C is considered as an important risk factor for stroke and its increase is considered to be due to inflammation or alterations in renal functions. The Aim of the present study is to evaluate the role of cystatin C in diagnosis and prognosis of stroke patients. Material and Method: The study group was composed of 52 acute cerebral stroke patients admitted to hospital during first 24 hours of occurrence and 42 age and sex- matched healthy controls. Cystatin C levels were measured in Roche Cobas autoanalyzer by Dako Cytomation LX002 cystatin C reactive with an immunoturbidimetric method. Results: Serum cystatin C, sedimentation (ESR), urea, creatinine, eGFR ve CRP levels were higher in the patients when compared to control group ( p<0.001 for all). No significant difference in cystatin C levels among the groups constituted according to NIHSS (North Scandinavian Stroke Scale) score was found. Cystatin C levels were found to be moderately correlated with urea, creati- nine, eGFR and ESR levels (p<0.001). Levels of cystatin C were still found to be significant in ischemic stroke patients aſter the effects of kidney function tests (urea, creatinine, eGFR) and inflammatory marker(CRP, ESR, Fibrinogen) were adjusted (p<0.001). Discussion: Cystatin C levels are elevated in acute ischemic stroke. The analyses made to determine if this increase is caused by inflammation or renal dysfunction showed both processes to be correlated with cystatin C, but cystatin C is also an independent risk factor in acute ischemic stroke. Keywords Cystatin C; CVD; NIHSS