The effect of GFAP-positive astrocytes, as positive or negative factors on stroke complications such as infarct volume and neurological deficits is currently under debate. This review was aimed to evaluate and compare the frequency of studies that showed a positive or negative relationship between astrocyte activation with the improvement of neurological deficits and/or the decrease of infarct volume. In addition, we reviewed two possible causes of differences in results including timepoint of stroke and stroke severity. Time of GFAP assessment was considered as time point and type of stroke induction and duration of stroke as stroke severity. According to our review in the most relevant English-language studies in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases from 2005 to 2020, the majority of studies (77 vs. 28) showed a negative coincidence or correlation between GFAP-positive cells with neurological improvement as well as between GFAP-positive cells with infarct volume reduction. In most reviewed studies, GFAP expression was reported as a marker related to or coinciding with worse neurological function, or greater infarct volume. However, there were also studies that showed helpful effects of GFAP-positive cells on neurological function or stroke lesion. Although there are some elucidations that the difference in these findings is due to the time point of stroke and stroke severity, our review did not confirm these interpretations.

GFAP 阳性星形胶质细胞作为积极或消极因素对中风并发症（如梗塞体积和神经功能缺损）的影响目前正在争论中。本综述旨在评估和比较显示星形胶质细胞激活与神经功能缺损改善和/或梗塞体积减少之间存在正或负关系的研究频率。此外，我们回顾了导致结果差异的两个可能原因，包括卒中时间点和卒中严重程度。GFAP评估时间被认为是中风诱发的时间点和类型，中风持续时间被认为是中风严重程度。根据我们对 2005 年至 2020 年 PubMed、Web of Science 和 Google Scholar 数据库中最相关的英语语言研究的回顾，大多数研究（77 对 28) 显示 GFAP 阳性细胞与神经功能改善之间以及 GFAP 阳性细胞与梗塞体积减少之间存在负一致性或相关性。在大多数回顾性研究中，GFAP 表达被报道为与更差的神经功能或更大的梗塞体积相关或同时发生的标志物。然而，也有研究表明 GFAP 阳性细胞对神经功能或中风病变有帮助作用。尽管有一些说明这些发现的差异是由于中风的时间点和中风的严重程度，但我们的审查并未证实这些解释。GFAP 表达被报告为与更差的神经功能或更大的梗塞体积相关或同时发生的标志物。然而，也有研究表明 GFAP 阳性细胞对神经功能或中风病变有帮助作用。尽管有一些说明这些发现的差异是由于中风的时间点和中风的严重程度，但我们的审查并未证实这些解释。GFAP 表达被报告为与更差的神经功能或更大的梗塞体积相关或同时发生的标志物。然而，也有研究表明 GFAP 阳性细胞对神经功能或中风病变有帮助作用。尽管有一些说明这些发现的差异是由于中风的时间点和中风的严重程度，但我们的审查并未证实这些解释。