Plasma Homocysteine Level and Blood Coagulation Factors in Acute Ischemic Cerebral Stroke

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We studied the plasma homocysteine level and coagulation factors such as fibrinogen and antithrombin III (ATIII) in acute cerebral infarction (ACI). METHODS: We enrolled 222 patients who visited our emergency department from March 1, 2003, to August 31, 2003. The ACI patient group included those who visited the emergency department within 24 hours due to cerebral infarction symptoms and included 115 patients the control group included those visited the emergency department due to minor trauma (CRAMS score>9) and include 56 patients in the homocysteine control group and 51 in the fibrinogen and ATIII group. ACI patient group was subclassified according to great artery, small artery, or cardioembolic cerebral infarction. RESULTS: The plasma homocysteine level, the fibrinogen, and ATIII were 16.3+/-7.9 micrommol, 283.2+/-60.1 mg/dl, 87.3+/-25.8%, respectively, in the ACI patient group and 9.6+/-4.0 micrommol, 245.3+/-62.2 mg/dl, 109.8+/-14.7% in the control group. The values of plasma homocysteine and fibrinogen in the was higher than it was in the control group. The value of ATIII in the ACI patient group was lower than it was in the control group. In according to cerebral infarction type, no differences were observed in the plasma homocyteine, fibrinogen, and ATIII. CONCLUSION: In cases of acute cerebral infarction, fibrinogen and ATIII have no statistical usefulness in classifying the type of cerebral infarction. However, the value of plasma homocysteine, fibrinogen, and ATIII have statistical usefulness in deciding on the existence or nonexistence of an acute cerebral infarction.