Objective:To determine the effect of remote ischemic post-conditioning (RIPC) on acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis (IVT).Methods:A single-center, randomized controlled trial was performed with AIS patients receiving IVT. Patients in the RIPC group were administered RIPC treatment (after IVT) during hospitalization. The primary endpoint was a score of 0 or 1 on the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at day 90. The safety, tolerability and neuroprotection biomarkers associated with RIPC were also examined.Results:We collected data from both RIPC (n=34) and controls (n=34). The average duration of hospitalization was 11.2 days. There was no significant difference between the two groups at admission for the NIHSS score (p=0.364) or occur to treatment time (p=0.889). An excellent recovery (mRS 0–1) at 3 months was obtained in 71.9% of the patients in the RIPC group vs 50.0% in the control group (adjusted risk ratio, 9.85; 95% CI, 1.54 to 63.16; P = 0.016). We further found significantly lower plasma S100 β (p=0.007) and higher vascular endothelial growth factor (p = 0.003) levels in the RIPC group than in controls.Conclusions:Repeated RIPC combined with IVT can significantly facilitate recovery of nerve function and improve clinical prognosis of patients with AIS.ClinicalTrial.gov identifier:NCT03218293Classification of Evidence:This study provides Class IV evidence that RIPC following tPA treatment of AIS significantly increases the proportion of patients with MRS 0 or 1 at 90 days.

PurposeThe aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase ratio (De Ritis ratio, AAR) was reported to be associated with patients’ prognosis in certain diseases recently. The objective of the current study was to determine the association between the AAR at admission and poor outcome at 3 months in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.Patients and methodsThis retrospective cohort study included patients who experienced their first-ever AIS between June 2015 and March 2016. The primary outcome measure was a poor outcome at 3 months (modified Rankin Scale score >2). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between AAR quartiles and clinical outcomes among the AIS patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was applied to identify the optimal cutoff for AAR in predicting the prognosis of AIS.ResultsIn terms of the relationship between poor outcome and AAR, the adjusted odds ratio comparing the highest and lowest AAR quartiles was 2.15 (95% confidence interval =1.14–4.05). An AAR of 1.53 was identified as the optimal cutoff. In a prespecified subgroup analysis according to the time from symptom onset to treatment (>24 vs ≤24 hours), there was no significant difference in the effect of AAR >1.53 between the two groups.ConclusionAn increased AAR at admission is significantly associated with a poor outcome at 3 months in AIS patients.