Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients eligible for enrolment include: * Adults ≥18 years of age. * Suspected acute stroke. Defined as either FAST-positive, or LAPSS-positive or ROSIER\>0 * Within 24 hours of symptom onset. * Informed consent. * Control subjects will be drawn from two groups: * Non-neurologic patients who are matched with TIA and stroke cases (AIS, HS) for age, race, gender and smoking plus one or more of the following vascular risk factors: diabetes, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidaemia. * Relatives or accompanying friends. * Note that we will include and collect samples from the following cases if they present as suspected stroke and are recruited \<24 hours from symptom onset. * Any central nervous system infection, i.e. meningitis or encephalitis in the past 30 days * Any form of head trauma, stroke or intracranial haemorrhage in the past 30 days * Known primary or metastatic cancer involving the brain * Active cancer is defined as a diagnosis of cancer, within 6 months before enrollment, any treatment for cancer within the previous 6 months, or recurrent or metastatic cancer. * Autoimmune diseases: such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis * Active infectious diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C) * Major surgery within three months prior to the index event Exclusion Criteria: * Clear onset of acute symptoms \>24 hours.