Abstract
Background: Cerebrovascular disease is a great health burden. Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection has a role in the development of carotid atherosclerosis and recently associated to poor outcome in patients with stroke.
Aim of Study: The aim of this work was to investigate the prognostic value of HCV viral load on acute first-ever ischemic stroke outcome.
Patient and Methods: Sixty patients diagnosed with acute stroke were enrolled and divided into 41 patients with and 19 without chronic HCV. Stroke severity was assessed and correlated with HCV viral load which was determined By RT-PCR. The morphological and functional status of the liver was evaluated by ultrasonography and laboratory investigations including liver function tests.
Results: The outcome was favorable in 35% and unfavo-rable in 65%. The high level of HCV RNA in stroke patients was found to be an independent predictor of stroke outcome after controlling for age, hypertension, DM and stroke severity. Patients who died had significantly higher levels of HCV RNA than survivors.
Conclusion: High viremia is an independent predictor of short term outcome of first ever stroke.