Table 1.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria for the subjects in the study group.
| Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria |
|---|---|
| confirmed cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) | unconfirmed cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) |
| good general condition | poor general condition |
| age of consent, i.e., over the age of 18 years | patients under the age of 18 years |
| no legal guardianship | legal guardianship |
| recovery from the acute phase of hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke in all brain areas | no recovery from the acute phase of hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke in all brain areas |
| the first admission to cure stroke unit was more than 5–6 (to 10) hours from the onset of the early neurological symptoms | the first admission to cure stroke unit was less than 5–6 hours from the onset of the early neurological symptoms and treated with thrombolysis |
| consciousness and giving of informed and written consent for a sampling of saliva and oral examination | unconsciousness and inability to give informed consent for saliva sampling and oral examination |
| adequate capacity to follow instructions, i.e., being able to answer questions during the study and understanding how to perform the procedures | inadequate capacity to follow instructions (insufficient cooperation due to cognitive and/or language deficits) |
| ability to gather a saliva sample | inability to gather a saliva sample |
| no stroke recurrence during the subacute phase | stroke recurrence during the subacute phase |
| ischemic stroke treated without thrombolysis or thrombectomy | ischemic stroke treated with thrombolysis or thrombectomy |
| patients without malnutrition (no weight loss over 10% during the previous three months or having body mass index higher than 18 kg/m2) | patients suffering from malnutrition (with weight loss over 10% during the previous three months or having body mass index lower than 18 kg/m2) |
| no heart failure (NYHA > II) | heart failure (NYHA < II) |
| no autoimmune disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus) | autoimmune disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus) |
| no psychiatric or cognitive disorders | psychiatric or cognitive disorders |
| no lung disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or cardiovascular disease (angina or uncontrolled hypertension) | lung disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or cardiovascular disease (angina or uncontrolled hypertension) |
| no XO inhibitors such as Allopurinol, Febuxostat, and Topiroxostat | XO inhibitors for the last three months |
| no vitamins and dietary supplements for the last three months | vitamins and dietary supplements for the last three months |
| non-smokers | smokers |