Effectiveness of Antiviral Therapy in the Secondary Prevention of the Ischemic Stroke on the Background of Viral Infection Manifestation

Abstract

Recurrent stroke remains the key health issue in the world. A higher three-year recurrence rate of stroke in patients with persistence of the genome of herpes viruses, and with presence in the blood of the genome of at least 2 types of viruses was identified. These investigations demonstrate the importance of further research into the role of antiviral therapy in improving the rehabilitation and secondary prevention of stroke in patients with persistent viral infection The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of antiviral therapy in the secondary ischemic stroke prevention on the viral infection manifestation background. Material and methods. The study included 105 patients with moderate to severe ischemic stroke with a viral manifestation confirmed by the detection of herpes virus’s DNA (HSV1, HSV2, EBV, CMV, HHV6) and Flu RNA. Patients who were additionally prescribed antiviral drugs on the background of traditional therapy were in the main group (n = 35). Patients who received only traditional, recommended by the modern stroke treatment guidelines, therapy and secondary stroke prevention measures were included in the comparison group (n = 70). Results and discussion. We found that the effectiveness of the proposed preventive treatment depended on the viral load of the patient. In the presence of three or more types of viruses, the proposed therapy provided a significantly lower ischemic stroke recurrence rate, compared to the patients who did not receive antiviral therapy 11.1% vs. 49.8%, p = 0.042. Prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke, which should have started as soon as possible after the development of the first stroke or transient ischemic attack occurrence, F. Rincon and R. L. Sacco (2008) consider the most relevant in this group of patients. Herewith, as emphasized by D. G. Hackam and J. D. Spence (2007), comprehensive prevention has reduced the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke by almost 80%, thus preventing 4 out of 5 possible disorders. However, both native and world literature still has a lack of systematic data of the problem of antiviral therapy using in patients with acute disorders of cerebral circulation, although it has been proven that infectious and inflammatory complications are an important pathogenetic factor of its unfavorable and severe outcome. M. S. Elkind et al. (2016) consider that antiviral drugs such as acyclovir may play an appropriate role in the prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke in children if their causal relation is confirmed. Conclusion. The use of acyclovir in complex rehabilitation therapy and secondary stroke prevention in patients with viral infection manifestation provided an increase in the average score of Bartel index after 1 year, p = 0.017. In the case of antiviral therapy using in the complex prevention of recurrent vascular events in patients with viral infection manifestation, the three-year recurrence rate of stroke is lower (p = 0.042)