Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) and ESR are acute-phase reactants, are indicators of underlying systemic inflammation and novel plasma markers for atherothrombotic disease. Hence we planned to study these variables (hsCRP and ESR) using a precise methodology in stroke patients and compare them with data from age- and sex-matched control subjects.

Material & Methods: The study was a case control study carried out at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur (Rajasthan), which is a tertiary care referral centre. Sixty Patients of acute ischemic stroke admitted to the medical and neurology wards within 24 hrs of the onset of symptoms were taken as cases.  Thirty age and sex matched controls were also recruited for study. Severity of ischemic stroke was accessed using modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score and accordingly the cases were categorized into two groups: Group 1 (less severe stroke group) including patients with mRS score 0-2, and Group 2 (more severe stroke group) including patients with mRS score 3-6. Blood samples were taken and sent for routine investigations including lipid profile and ESR by westergren method (Normal ESR:  Male ≤15, Female ≤20).

Results: In the present study ESR level in cases and controls were elevated in 90% of cases as compared to 40% in controls, which was significant statistically with a p value of <0.01. The ESR also had a statistically significant correlation with Stroke clinical severity (mRS Score) (r = 0.4645, p = <0.05). The hsCRP also found to have a statistically significant correlation with Stroke clinical severity (mRS Score) (r = 0.5568, p = <0.05).

Conclusion: We concluded that Positive correlation was observed ESR and hsCRP with stroke severity. Sample size was smaller than some of the western studies.

Keywords: ESR, hsCRP, Acute Ischemic Stroke, mRS score.

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Dr Balveen Singh

IIIrd Year Resident, Dept of General Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Hospitals, Jaipur, India