title: Soluble thrombomodulin and endothelial cell protein C receptor levels in patients with cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a potentially serious disorder. In search for underlying coagulopathy in CVST patients, we measured plasma levels of soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) and soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR) in patients with CVST as candidate biomarkers of thrombosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The concentrations of sTM and sEPCR in 19 CVST patients without protein C and protein S deficiency were measured by ELISA and compared with 53 healthy controls. We also examined the association between those plasma markers and the risk of CVST.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant difference was identified in plasma sTM level between CVST patients and controls (0.95±0.09 vs. 1.26±0.12 ng/ml, respectively; p=0.038). The plasma level of sEPCR was not different between groups, and no significant quantitative association was identified between the risk of CVST and the levels of sEPCR. The adjusted odds ratio for CVST associated with low (<10th percentile) levels of sTM was 2.3 (95% CI: 1.29-20.08; p=0.012) after adjustment for confounding factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased plasma sTM concentration may be associated with an increased risk of CVST.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Shaghayegh Haghjooy
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Javanmard
authors.forename: Tayebeh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shahsavarzadeh
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saadatnia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D000074283:Endothelial Protein C Receptor; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D012851:Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial / Q000097:blood*; D018180:Thrombomodulin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D000074283:Endothelial Protein C Receptor; C478370:PROCR protein, human; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018180:Thrombomodulin