Serum Coenzyme Q10 Is Associated with Clinical Neurological Outcomes in Acute Stroke Patients

Disruption of prooxidant-antioxidant balance may lead to oxidative stress which is known as a mechanism contributing to ischemic stroke. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an endogenous antioxidant that could be effective in preventing oxidative stress. However, the contribution of serum levels of CoQ10 in clinical neurological outcomes following ischemic stroke has not been clearly established. This study aims at measuring serum concentration of CoQ10 along with major indicators of antioxidant and oxidant among patients within 24h after onset of the stroke symptoms, and investigating their relation with the clinical status of patients. Serum levels of CoQ10, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in 76 patients and 34 healthy individuals. Severity of the neurological deficit, functional disability, and cognitive status in ischemic subjects were respectively studied with the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale (MRS), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Stroke patients had significantly lower serum level of CoQ10 and SOD as compared to controls (27.34 +/- 35.40ng/ml, 18.58 +/- 0.76/ml, respectively; p<0.05), whereas the serum MDA level was significantly higher (38.02 +/- 2.61m, p<0.05). A significant negative correlation was detected between the serum CoQ10 level and scores of NIHSS and MRS. A similar association was discerned between the SOD level and the neurological deficit score. The serum MDA level was also found to be strongly correlated with all three neurological scales. These findings suggest that the serum level of CoQ10 like other antioxidant and oxidant markers can significantly change early after ischemic stroke and they are substantially associated with clinical neurological outcomes.