INTRODUCTION: Apolipoprotein E has been associated with intracerebral hemorrhages and with neurological outcome of ischemic stroke patients treated with rt-PA. Therefore, we hypothesized that ApoE genotype might influence the appearance of post-tPA hemorrhagic transformation and that the favorable outcome of E2 patients might be due to better rates of recanalization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the ApoE genotype of 77 patients with ischemic stroke involving the territory of the middle cerebral artery who received rt- PA within 3 h of symptoms onset. The hemorrhagic events were evaluated by computed tomography and the arterial recanalization by transcraneal doppler. RESULTS: We did not observe any association between ApoE genotypes and the rates of hemorrhagic transformation following rt-PA treatment (E2 = 33.3 %, E3 = 32.7%, E4=11.8%; p=0.241). Rates of artery recanalization following thrombolysis were similar regarding ApoE genotypes at 1 hour post-tPA administration (E2=40%, E3+E4=45.9%; p=0.799), at 6 hours post-tPA (E2=80%, E3+E4=62.3 %; p=0.43) or at 24 hours post-tPA (E2= 100%, E3+E4=75%, p=0.203). No association was observed between ApoE genotypes and NIHSS scores at 48 hours (E2=8, E3+E4=12; p=0.811) nor with the modified ranking scale at 3 months (E2=1.5, E3+E4=4; p=0.350). CONCLUSIONS: In our group of stroke patients, ApoE genotypes are not related with the presence of hemorrhagic transformations neither with the rates of recanalization following thrombolytic treatment.
INTRODUCTION:Apolipoprotein E has been associated with intracerebral hemorrhages and with neurological outcome of ischemic strokepatients treated with rt-PA. Therefore, we hypothesized that ApoE genotype might influence the appearance of post-tPA hemorrhagic transformation and that the favorable outcome of E2 patients might be due to better rates of recanalization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the ApoE genotype of 77 patients with ischemic stroke involving the territory of the middle cerebral artery who received rt- PA within 3 h of symptoms onset. The hemorrhagic events were evaluated by computed tomography and the arterial recanalization by transcraneal doppler. RESULTS: We did not observe any association between ApoE genotypes and the rates of hemorrhagic transformation following rt-PA treatment (E2 = 33.3 %, E3 = 32.7%, E4=11.8%; p=0.241). Rates of artery recanalization following thrombolysis were similar regarding ApoE genotypes at 1 hour post-tPA administration (E2=40%, E3+E4=45.9%; p=0.799), at 6 hours post-tPA (E2=80%, E3+E4=62.3 %; p=0.43) or at 24 hours post-tPA (E2= 100%, E3+E4=75%, p=0.203). No association was observed between ApoE genotypes and NIHSS scores at 48 hours (E2=8, E3+E4=12; p=0.811) nor with the modified ranking scale at 3 months (E2=1.5, E3+E4=4; p=0.350). CONCLUSIONS: In our group of strokepatients, ApoE genotypes are not related with the presence of hemorrhagic transformations neither with the rates of recanalization following thrombolytic treatment.