Natural coagulation inhibitor proteins in young patients with cerebral ischemia

Disturbances of coagulation and fibrinolytic pathways were studied in 53 yo ung patients with cerebral ischemia. Upon admission 26 of 53 patients had a bnormality in at least one of the antithrombin-III, protein C, protein S ac tivities or in activated protein C (APC) ratios. Three months after the fir st examination the majority of the previously detected abnormalities return ed to normal values and the most frequent alterations were decrease in prot ein S activity (3 patients) and APC resistance (3 patients). Conditions res ulting in impaired fibrinolysis were frequently detected upon admission. El evation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, lipoprotein (a), and alpha-2- antiplasmin was present in 23, 10, and 4 cases, respectively. It is conclud ed that abnormalities of coagulation as well as of the fibrinolytic systems are prevalent in the acute phase of cerebral ischemia, however, the result s may be significantly influenced by the disease process or the acute phase effect. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.