Other predictors of poor outcome were: age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02–1.06, P < 0.01), NIHSS score (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.07–1.16, P < 0.01), pneumonia (OR 10.59, 95% CI 1.29–86.92, P = 0.03), WBC count (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.17–1.46, P < 0.01), plasma IL-6 (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02–1.06, P < 0.01) and TNFα release ex vivo (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.59–0.89, P < 0.01). Here, TNF is linked to pneumonia.