Timed Interval Measurement of Eotaxin in Stroke Study (TIMES Study) v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Timed Interval Measurement of Eotaxin in Stroke Study (TIMES Study).\nInvestigating Temporal Dynamic Changes in Eotaxin as a Stroke Biomarker to Differentiate Stroke from Stroke Mimics
IRAS ID
217191
Contact name
Salim Elyas
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 31 days
Research summary
Stroke is caused by sudden changes in blood flow in the brain. This can be fatal or can result in permanent disability. A fast diagnosis is essential to initiate effective interventions and optimize benefits to patients. There are other diseases that can look like a stroke and these are called “stroke mimics”. The quicker that stroke mimics can be ruled out the faster a stroke can be diagnosed and treatment can be given. We may be able to use chemicals in the blood to rapidly confirm that a person has had a stroke. One such chemical is called eotaxin. Eotaxin has been found to be changed in sufferers of a stroke but not in those with stroke mimics. However, more research is needed to confirm the usefulness of eotaxin. This feasibility study aims to provide the foundations to allow a large scale trial of this test. The study aims to recruit participants that have had a stroke or a stroke mimic from the Acute Stroke Unit and Stroke clinic at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. Up to 4 blood samples will be taken from each participant at different times over one week. Eotaxin will be measured in these samples and in participant’s leftover samples taken for clinical care. This is needed because we know that eotaxin is increased in the blood after a stroke but we do not know how quickly this change happens and for how long the change occurs. The study will also allow us to understand how many participants will be needed for a large scale trial and the challenges we may face in recruiting participants. The research is funded by the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and The Association for Clinical Biochemistry.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0128
Date of REC Opinion
12 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion