PLATELET-ACTIVATING-FACTOR (PAF) AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRONIC SUBDURAL-HEMATOMA

Platelet activating factor (PAF) content and PAF-acetylhydrolase (PAFA H) activity were measured in the plasma and haematoma of 34 chronic su bdural haematoma (CSH) patients. The plasma PAF level in patients with CSH was higher than that in healthy controls. Although there was no c orrelation between the plasma PAF levels and the interval between the onset of symptoms and the day of sampling, namely, the interval after bleeding, the haematoma PAF level gradually decreased according to the interval after the onset of symptoms. There was no difference between plasma PAFAH activity in patients with CSH and that in healthy contro ls, and haematoma enzyme activity gradually increased correlated with the interval between the onset of symptoms and surgery. In addition, t he localization of PAF in haematoma capsules was histochemically deter mined. PAF was solely localized to the peri-sinusoidal vessels in the outer membrane of haematoma capsules. Based on these biochemical and h istochemical studies, we speculated that PAF may play a role in the de velopment of chronic subdural haematomas.