Serum Procalcitonin Levels are Associated with Clinical Outcome in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Procalcitonin (PCT) has emerged as a new prognostic inflammatory marker in a variety of diseases. This study aimed to evaluate whether PCT is associated with increased risk of unfavorable outcome in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients. During January 2015–December 2016, we conducted a prospective cohort investigation involved 251 primary ICH patients who were admitted within 24 h after the onset of symptoms. We assessed serum PCT levels for all patients at admission. The functional outcome after 3 months was evaluated by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and dichotomized as favorable (mRS 0–2) and unfavorable (mRS 3–6). The independent risk factors for unfavorable outcome and mortality after 3 months were examined by binary logistic regression. Of 251 ICH patients, the median PCT concentration was 0.053 µg/L (interquartile range 0.035–0.078 µg/L). Unfavorable outcome and mortality at 3 months were observed in 161 (64.1%) and 51 (20.3%) patients, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, patients with PCT levels in the top quartile (>0.078 ug/L), compared with the lowest quartile (