Copeptin is associated with one-year mortality and functional outcome in patients with acute spontaneous basal ganglia hemorrhage.

High plasma copeptin levels have been found to be associated with short-term poor outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We furthermore evaluate the relation of plasma copeptin levels to long-term outcome and early neurological deterioration after ICH. Fifty healthy controls and 89 patients with acute spontaneous basal ganglia hemorrhage were recruited in this study. Plasma copeptin concentrations on admission measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were considerably high in patients than healthy controls. A multivariate analysis identified plasma copeptin level as an independent predictor for 1-year mortality, 1-year unfavorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score>2) and early neurological deterioration. A receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the predictive value of plasma copeptin concentration was similar to that of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores for long-term poor outcome and early neurological deterioration. However, copeptin did not obviously improve the predictive values of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores. Thus, increased plasma copeptin level is an independent prognostic marker of 1-year mortality, 1-year unfavorable outcome and early neurological deterioration after ICH.