Serum Levels of High-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein at Admission Are More Strongly Associated with Poststroke Depression in Acute Ischemic Stroke than Homocysteine Levels

Inflammatory processes have fundamental roles in depression. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) and homocysteine (HCY) at admission to the presence of poststroke depression (PSD). From December 2012 to December 2013, first-ever acute ischemic stroke patients who were admitted to the hospital within the first 24 h after stroke onset were consecutively recruited and followed up for 6 months. Serum levels of Hs-CRP and HCY were tested at admission. Based on the symptoms, diagnoses of depression were made in accordance with DSM-IV criteria for depression at 6 months after stroke. Ninety-five patients (42.0 %) showed depression (major + minor) at 6 months after admission, and in 69 patients (30.5 %), this depression was classified as major. In the 69 patients with major depression, our results showed significantly higher Hs-CRP and HCY levels at admission than patients without major depression. After adjusting all other possible covariates, Hs-CRP and HCY still were independent predicators of PSD with adjusted OR of 1.332 (95 % CI, 1.230-1.452; P < 0.001) and 1.138 (95 % CI, 1.072-1.274; P < 0.001), respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of Hs-CRP and HCY were 0.765 (95 % CI, 0.701-0.9825) and 0.684 (95 % CI, 0.610-0.757) for PSD, respectively. The prognostic accuracy of combined model (HCY and Hs-CRP) was higher compared to those biomarkers alone and other markers. Elevated serum levels of Hs-CRP and HCY at admission were found to be associated with depression 6 months after stroke, suggesting that these alterations might participate in the pathophysiology of depression symptoms in stroke patients.