ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Currently available data suggests that uric acid (UA) functions as an antioxidant after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Nevertheless, the prognostic value of serum UA in AIS is controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between UA and functional outcomes after AIS. METHODS: UA levels were analyzed within 48 hours of stroke onset in patients between 2007 and 2012. Mean serum UA levels were compared between patients with good and poor functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score, 0-2 versus 3-6, respectively) at 3 months poststroke, and with and without early neurological improvement (ENI, > or = 4-versus <4-point differences on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score after 7 days). RESULTS: Serum UA levels differed according to the sex, age, stroke subtype, and presence of diabetes mellitus, smoking, and atrial fibrillation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed an association between good functional outcome at 3 months and male gender, young age, history of dyslipidemia, good functional status before stroke (mRS score, 0-2), and low stroke severity (i.e., NIHSS score) on admission. However, higher serum UA levels were no longer associated with a good functional outcomes (odds ratio, 1.387; 95% confidence interval, 0.857-2.244; p=0.521). The mean serum UA levels did not differ significantly between patients with and without ENI. CONCLUSIONS: There was no association between serum UA levels and functional outcomes at 3 months in AIS.