Résumé
To determine the sensitivity of von Willebrand factor [vWF] and fibrinogen as diagnostic predictors of vascular injury in acute myocardial infarction [MI], the changes in plasma level of vWF and fibrinogen were assessed in 15 patients with acute MI, 15 patients with unstable angina and 10 control subjects with no subjective or objective evidence of ischemia. The samples were obtained immediately on admission from all groups. In patients with acute MI, the samples were drawn at 24 hours and 5 days later. The samples were analyzed for serum cardiac enzymes, vWF and fibrinogen. Plasma concentrations of vWF antigen were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] method and by coagulation method for fibrinogen level. Compared with the control subjects, patients with acute MI and unstable angina had significantly higher levels of plasma vWF on admission. Twenty four hours and 5 days later, the plasma levels of vWF increased significantly from 203.6 +/- 17.7 and 252.6 +/- 2.6, respectively, compared with that on admission [104.1 +/- 23.8]. On the other hand, fibrinogen levels were significantly higher in patients with unstable angina compared with the control subjects, but insignificantly higher than that in patients with acute MI