VEGFA and cholesteryl ester measurement: A multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, neurological severity (NIHSS at day 0) and thrombolytic therapy revealed that the plasma VEGF value at day 0 could predict poor functional outcome at day 90 in CE patients with an odds ratio of 3.76 (95% confidence intervals: 1.78-11.95) per 100 pg/mL increase in VEGF (p < 0.001; Figure 5A).