To determine whether alteplase alters the development of ischemic lesions on brain imaging after stroke.
The Third International Stroke Trial (IST-3) was a randomized controlled trial of IV alteplase for ischemic stroke. We assessed CT or brain MRI at baseline (pretreatment) and 24 to 48 hours posttreatment for acute lesion visibility, extent, and swelling, masked to all other data. We analyzed associations between treatment allocation, change in brain tissue appearances between baseline and follow-up imaging, and 6-month functional outcome in IST-3. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized trials of alteplase vs control with pre- and postrandomization imaging.
Of 3,035 patients recruited in IST-3, 2,916 had baseline and follow-up brain imaging. Progression in either lesion extent or swelling independently predicted poorer 6-month outcome (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88–0.96, p < 0.001; OR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.66–0.79, p < 0.001, respectively). Patients allocated alteplase were less likely than controls to develop increased lesion visibility at follow-up (OR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.67–0.89, p < 0.001), but there was no evidence that alteplase reduced progression of lesion extent or swelling. In meta-analysis of 6 trials including IST-3 (n = 4,757), allocation to alteplase was associated with a reduction in ischemic lesion extent on follow-up imaging (OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.76–0.95, p = 0.004).
University of Oxford, Non-profit: DMC for REVEAL trial, University of Oxford, Non-profit: DMC for EMPA-Kidney trial
Commercial. Bayer. Lecture fee paid to my Department to give invited lecture at conference
stroke - editorial board member, International Journal of Stroke - editorial board member, Cochrane Stroke Group - editorial board member
National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme (project number 09/22/169), co-applicant
Stroke: The Facts. Lindley RI. Oxford University Press 2008. ISBN 978-0-19-921272-9 2nd Edition, 2017, ISBN 978-0-19-877818-9 Understanding Stroke. Lindley RI. The British Medical Association Family Doctor Series. ISBN: 1 898205 60 4. Published by Family Doctor Publications Ltd in association with the British Medical Association 2000. Second edition 2002. Third Edition 2003. Fourth edition 2005.
1) INTERACT: a randomised trial of intensive blood pressure lowering in acute intracerebral haemorrhage. Anderson C, Chalmers J, Wang J, Lindley R. 2) NHMRC (Australia) Project Grant 512402;Chief Investigator 2008-11. 3) NHMRC (Australia) Partnership Grant 569328, Chief Investigator, 2010-2014. 4) NHMRC (Australia) Project Grant APP1004170, Chief Investigator 2011-13. 5) NHMRC (Australia) Project Grant, APP1020462 Chief Investigator, 2012-2015 6) NHMRC (Australia) Project Grant, APP1024440, Chief Investigator, 2012-14 7) NHMRC (Australia) Project Grant, APP1041401, Chief Investigator 2013-6 8) NHMRC (Australia) Project Grant. APP1045391 Chief Investigator, 2013-6 9) NHMRC (Australia) Project Grant,APP1063751 Chief Investigator, 2014-6 10) NHMRC (Australia) Project Grant, APP1101113 Chief Investigator, 2016-8 11) NHMRC (Australia) Program Grant, APP1149987 Chief Investigator, 2019-23
Medical Research Council; Efficacy and Mechanisms Evaluation; Stroke Association; Health Foundation; and Chest Heart Stroke Scotland for this work. Prof Wardlaw also receives funding from the Fondation Leducq, the European Union Horizon 2020 project No 666881, ?SVDs@target', UK Medical Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Alzheimer's Society, Chief Scientist Office.
The Row Fogo Trust. ?1,496,000, 1st Apr 2001 to 31st Jul 2021. Ref No: AD.ROW4.35.
Go to Neurology.org/N for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.
IST-3 Collaborative Group coinvestigators are listed at links.lww.com/WNL/A749.
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