Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor and its relationship to fibrinolysis and inflammation during the acute and convalescent phase of ischemic stroke.

To investigate thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) in ischemic stroke and its relationship to fibrinolysis and inflammation, we investigated 32 patients with ischemic stroke during the acute phase and after 60 days. TAFI antigen levels, global markers of hemostasis (coagulation and fibrinolysis) and inflammatory markers were measured in plasma. TAFI antigen levels were significantly elevated at admission (128%; 109-151%) and at day 1 (129%; 109-152%) compared with day 60 (108%; 91-127%; both P < 0.01) and with healthy control individuals (99%; 76-122%; P < 0.05). In parallel, fibrinolysis assessed as the overall fibrinolysis potential (OFP), part of the overall hemostatic potential assay (OHP), was decreased at all time points compared with control individuals (P < 0.01 for all) and was found to be inversely related to TAFI (r = -0.40; P = 0.0008; n = 20). The OFP and the overall coagulation potential (another part of the OHP assay), and to a lesser degree TAFI, showed significant relationships to C-reactive protein and fibrinogen. In conclusion, elevated TAFI antigen levels may be a consequence of an acute phase reaction, and together with a depressed OFP suggest impaired fibrinolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke. The OHP method may be useful as a complement to standard hemostatic variables in evaluating hemostasis in stroke patients.

Intravenous immunoglobulin for post-polio syndrome: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Survivors of poliomyelitis often develop increased or new symptoms decades after the acute infection, known as post-polio syndrome. Production of proinflammatory cytokines within the CNS indicates an underlying inflammatory process, accessible for immunomodulatory treatment. We did a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of intravenous immunoglobulin in post-polio syndrome. METHODS: 142 patients at four university clinics were randomly assigned infusion of either 90 g in total of intravenous immunoglobulin (n=73) or placebo (n=69) during 3 consecutive days, repeated after 3 months. Seven patients were withdrawn from the study. Thus, 135 patients were assessed per protocol. Primary endpoints were muscle strength in a selected study muscle and quality of life as measured with the SF-36 questionnaire (SF-36 PCS). Secondary endpoints were 6-minute walk test (6MWT), timed up and go (TUG), muscle strength in muscles not chosen as the study muscle, physical activity scale of the elderly (PASE), visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20), balance, and sleep quality. Outcome tests were done immediately before the first infusion and 3 months after the second infusion. This study is registered with , number NCT00160082. FINDINGS: Compared with baseline, median muscle strength differed by 8.3% between patients receiving intravenous immunoglobulin and placebo, in favour of the treatment group (p=0.029). SF-36 PCS did not differ significantly between the groups after treatment (p=0.321). Differences in the subscale vitality score (p=0.042) and PASE (p=0.018) favoured the active treatment group. MFI-20, TUG, muscle strength in the muscles not chosen as the study muscle, 6MWT, balance, and sleep quality did not differ between groups. For the whole study population there was no significant change in pain, as determined by VAS. Nevertheless, patients who reported pain at the study start improved in the intervention group but not in the placebo group (p=0.037). Intravenous immunoglobulin was well tolerated. INTERPRETATION: Intravenous immunoglobulin could be a supportive treatment option for subgroups of patients with post-polio syndrome. Further studies on responding subgroups, long-term effects, and dosing schedules are needed.

Effect of intravenous immunoglobulin in patients with post-polio syndrome -- an uncontrolled pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse changes in muscle strength, physical performance and quality of life during intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment in patients with post-polio syndrome. DESIGN: Open clinical trial. PATIENTS: A total of 14 patients (6 women, 8 men; mean age 57 years, range 43-67 years) were included in the study. INTERVENTION: Treatment with 90 g IVIg (30 g daily for 3 days). MAIN OUTCOME: Muscle strength, measured with dynamic dynamometry, muscle function, by means of performing the 6-minute walk test, and quality of life, analysed by means of the SF-36 questionnaire, were performed before and after treatment. RESULTS: For quality of life there was a statistically significant improvement for all but one of the 8 multi-item scales of SF-36 when comparing data before and after treatment with IVIg. The multi-item scale most improved was Vitality. There was no significant increase in muscle strength and physical performance. CONCLUSION: Data indicate that IVIg may have a clinically relevant effect, with an improvement in quality of life. The effect may be due to a decrease in an inflammatory process in the central nervous system, which earlier has been reported in patients with past-polio syndrome after IVIg treatment. Since a possible placebo effect cannot be ruled out, a randomized controlled study is needed.