title: Anticardiolipin antibody in stroke.
abstract: Anticardiolipin antibody (ACA) has been associated with cerebral ischemia, suggesting an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular thrombosis and a marker for increased thrombotic risk. Its prevalence and significance in stroke are unknown. In this study, consecutively admitted patients diagnosed as having stroke were studied. A total of 246 patients, 141 men and 105 women, aged 34 to 91 years (mean age, 63.5 years), were screened for the presence of ACA. Elevated concentration of circulating ACA was present in 4 out of 170 patients with infarct, and in 1 out of 76 patients with hemorrhage. They were 4 men and 1 woman, aged 49 to 84 years (mean age, 66.8 years). The prevalence of ACA in stroke was 2% (2.3% for infarction and 1.3% for hemorrhage). All the elevated ACA were of IgG isotype. No strong association between antibody positivity and stroke was found in this study. The routine screen of ACA in stroke is of questionable value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Leu
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Tsay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000276:immunology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D002308:Cardiolipins