Elevated serum S100B levels in the acute phase of ischemic stroke were independently associated with increased mortality risk, and a combined measure of S100B, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and platelet count may further improve risk stratification.
Higher baseline serum S100B levels were associated with increased risk of death after ischemic stroke.
Significant joint effects were observed between S100B and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in association with death after ischemic stroke.
Significant joint effects were observed between S100B and platelet count in association with death after ischemic stroke.
The study population consisted of 3249 patients with acute ischemic stroke enrolled in a prospective multicenter cohort across China.
Elevated serum S100B levels were independently associated with increased mortality risk after adjustment for potential confounders.
A combined measure of S100B, hs-CRP, and platelet count may improve risk stratification after ischemic stroke.
This research suggests that measuring a brain-injury protein called S100B in the blood shortly after an ischemic stroke (a stroke caused by a blocked blood vessel) can help predict which patients are at greatest risk of dying within three months. Among 3,249 stroke patients followed across 26 hospitals in China, those with the highest blood levels of S100B at hospital admission were about twice as likely to die within three months compared to those with the lowest levels, and this relationship was consistent across the full range of S100B values. This research also suggests that combining S100B with two other commonly measured blood markers — high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, a marker of body-wide inflammation) and platelet count (related to blood clotting) — provides even better information about a patient's risk. Patients who had high levels of all three markers at the same time faced the greatest risk of death, pointing to a possible interplay between brain injury, inflammation, and clotting processes in determining stroke outcomes. These findings matter because identifying high-risk stroke patients early could allow clinicians to tailor monitoring and treatment more precisely. S100B is already measurable with standard laboratory equipment, and combining it with hs-CRP and platelet count — tests routinely done in many hospital settings — could offer a practical, low-cost tool for improving stroke prognosis without requiring additional specialized testing.
Yang P, Sun L, Jia Y, Zhu Z, Wang A, Zhang Y, et al.. (2026). Serum S100B and Its Interplay With hs-CRP and Platelet Count in Association With Adverse Outcomes After Ischemic Stroke.. Journal of the American Heart Association. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.125.048160