## 3 Results
### Clinical, Functional, Imaging, and Immunologic Correlates of Ischemic Stroke in Children
The analysis of electrophysiological manifestations (r = 0.744) demonstrated a high risk of seizure occurrence in children with ischemic stroke. A strong direct correlation of VEGF (r = 0.678) with patients' functional outcomes six months post-stroke was also observed, alongside correlations with the size of the pathological focus (r = 0.671) and electrophysiological abnormalities (r = 0.644). The elevated levels of VEGF detected in peripheral circulation during acute pediatric stroke and their correlation with the disease severity and infarct size highlight VEGF as a potential peripheral marker for acute stroke in children. Furthermore, the strong correlation of VEGF with the long-term functional outcomes supports its role as a prognostic marker for post-stroke neurological sequelae. VEGF is thus regarded as a clinical marker for assessing the disease severity and volume of the affected area and a reliable prognostic marker for long-term neurological outcomes. The detection of elevated VEGF levels during acute stroke and their strong correlation with functional manifestations underscore its utility as a sufficient peripheral biomarker for both acute stroke assessment and prognostic purposes. The study revealed several significant reciprocal correlations, including the following:  
1. IL-6: A very strong direct correlation with the disease severity (r = 0.901) and the size of the ischemia area (r = 0.881) and a strong correlation with electrophysiological manifestations (r = 0.686). 2. CNTF: A moderate direct correlation with the disease severity (r = 0.532) and the size of the ischemia area (r = 0.543), and a weak correlation with electrophysiological manifestations (r = 0.368). 3. APAs: A moderate direct correlation with the disease severity (r = 0.553) and the size of the ischemia area (r = 0.543), and a weak correlation with electrophysiological manifestations (r = 0.368). 4. S100B protein: A weak direct correlation with the disease severity (r = 0.311), the size of the ischemia area (r = 0.326), and electrophysiological manifestations (r = 0.350). 5. Endoglin (ENG/CD105): A moderate inverse correlation with the disease severity (r = \(-\)0.434) and the size of the ischemia area (r = \(-\)0.444), and a weak inverse correlation with electrophysiological manifestations (r = \(-\)0.293). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Parameters**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**NSG**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**EEG**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**CT**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**MRI**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**PedNIHSS Scale**} \\  & & **(on Repeated** & & & & \\  & & **Admissions)** & & & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**VEGF**} & rxy & 0.621 & 0.644 & 0.628 & 0.671 & 0.678 \\ \cline{2-6}  & \(p\) & 0.000 & 0.000 & 0.000 & 0.000 & 0.000 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{S100B protein, \(\mathrm{ng/mL}\)} & rxy & 0.213 & 0.129 & 0.207 & 0.268 & 0.176 \\ \cline{2-6}  & \(p\) & 0.126 & 0.356 & 0.137 & 0.052 & 0.207 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{NSG (on repeated \(\mathrm{admissions}\))} & rxy & & 0.772 & 0.914 & 0.845 & 0.846 \\ \cline{2-6}  & \(p\) & & 0.000 & 0.000 & 0.000 & 0.000 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{EEG} & rxy & & 0.807 & 0.815 & 0.876 \\ \cline{2-6}  & \(p\) & & 0.000 & 0.000 & 0.000 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Brain CT} & rxy & & & 0.871 & 0.829 \\ \cline{2-6}  & \(p\) & & & 0.000 & 0.000 \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Brain MRI} & rxy & & & 0.911 \\ \cline{2-6}  & \(p\) & & & 0.000 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: Correlational analysis of laboratory markers and imaging findings six months after IS (correlation coefficient, rxy; significance level, \(p\)).