Prognostic significance of markers of thrombin generation in the acute and chronic phases of non cardioembolic ischemic stroke.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have shown there is activation of the hemostatic system, with thrombin generation, in the acute phase of stroke. Such an activation has unfavourable effects. It is still not known whether there is also a persistent hypercoagulability state in these patients as well as in subjects affected by acute coronary syndromes.


METHODS
To know more about the issue, we measured plasma levels of the prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2) and the thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) in 40 consecutive patients with first ischemic non-cardioembolic stroke; 16 matched involutive cardiomyopathy patients served as the control group. TATs and F1 + 2 were also assessed six months after the onset of stroke symptoms.


RESULTS
At baseline stroke patients had higher values than controls of both F1 + 2 and TAT (F1 + 2: 2.38 +/- 2.30 nmol/l vs 1.20 +/- 0.50; p < 0.03; TAT 16.11 +/- 19.60 ng/ml vs 5.51 +/- 4.29; p < 0.05) and these measurements were not related to the typical acute phase reactants. After 6 months F1 + 2 levels in stroke patients were still higher than controls (F1 + 2: 1.68 +/- 0.80 nmol/l vs 1.20 +/- 0.50; p < 0.05), but there were no differences from the baseline levels of F1 + 2 and TAT. According to survival curves mortality was significantly higher in patients with hypercoagulability (defined as F:1 + 2 and TAT levels more than two standard deviations above the mean).


CONCLUSIONS
These data confirm that for stroke patients there is sustained activation of the blood coagulation system like in unstable angina and myocardial infarction these abnormalites may have unfavourable prognostic significance.
Soncini
M
M
Vascular and Thrombotic Pathology Department of Internal Medicine, San Carlo Borromeo Hospital, Milan.
Gasparini
P
P
Lorena
M
M
Motta
A
A
Cimminiello
C
C
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000990:Antithrombin III; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D011516:Prothrombin; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; C029733:prothrombin fragment 1; D000990:Antithrombin III; D011516:Prothrombin; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases