The panel of protein biomarkers such as activated protein C–protein C inhibitor complex (APC–PCI), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) are potential alternative option to neuroimaging techniques, with advantages that can elucidate the underlying mechanism of disease, but they have shown limited diagnostic value with regard to blood-based biomarkers in stroke patients (Misra et al. 2017). The gene discussed is RBP4; the disease is stroke disorder.