Alterations of haemostatic markers in various subtypes and phases of stroke.

The purpose of this study was to clarify differences in coagulation and fibrinolytic activation between the various subtypes and phases of ischaemic stroke. Haemostatic activation markers were measured in 52 patients with cardioembolic stroke, 32 with atherothrombotic stroke and 54 with lacunar stroke and compared with 23 age-matched controls. Data were obtained in the acute (< or = 7 days after onset), subacute (8-28 days) and chronic (> or = 29 days) phases of stroke. In patients with cardioembolic stroke, D-dimer and alpha 2-antiplasmin-plasmin complex levels were higher during the acute and subacute phases, while thrombin-antithrombin III complex levels were higher during the acute phase than in patients with lacunar stroke and controls. In cardioembolic stroke, fibrinopeptide A was increased during the acute and subacute phases, thrombin-antithrombin III complexes were higher during the subacute phase and D-dimer levels were higher during the chronic phase. Protein C activity was lower during the acute phase than in atherothrombotic stroke, lacunar stroke and controls. Protein C antigen was lower during the acute phase than in lacunar stroke and controls and during the chronic phase than in lacunar stroke. In contrast, only D-dimer levels were higher in atherothrombotic stroke patients than controls during the acute and chronic phases and no significant alterations in these markers were observed in the patients with lacunar stroke. These findings suggest that measurement of molecular markers of coagulation and fibrinolysis may be useful for detecting intracardiac thrombin and plasmin generation in patients with cardioembolic stroke.