Effect of plasma thrombin-antithrombin complex on ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background and objective Thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) is a prethrombotic marker, and its application in ischemic stroke is still uncertain. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the relationship between plasma TAT and ischemic stroke base on the current evidence. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted for searching the relative studies that investigated the association of TAT and ischemic stroke in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases. Mean difference and 95% confidence interval as the effect sizes were synthesized by random effects model in Review Manager (RevMan) Version 5.4. The heterogeneity was investigated using the chi-square test and the possible sources of heterogeneity were explored by sensitivity analysis and meta-regression. The publication bias was estimated by Egger’s tests. Results A total of 12 eligible studies were included involving 1431 stroke cases and 532 healthy controls, of which six studies were eventually included in the meta-analysis. Plasma TAT in patients with ischemic stroke was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (MD 5.31, 95% CI = 4.12–6.51, P 2), and poor revascularization. Conclusions This study suggested that plasma TAT levels are different in ischemic stroke subtypes, which are closely associated with the progression and might have an effect on the prognosis. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD: 42021248787

Keywords

• Ischemic stroke
• Prognosis
• Stroke severity
• Thrombin–antithrombin complex