Abnormally high circulation levels of tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in patients with a history of ischemic stroke. Arterioscler Thromb

Abstract We evaluated 106 subjects with and 109 subjects without a history of ischemic stroke. All were attending a metabolic ward. The two groups were compared for major risk factors for ischemic events. A positive family history for ischemic complications of atherosclerosis was more common in subjects with a history of stroke than in those without; moreover, plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (TPA) were higher in patients with documented previous events. A strong positive significant correlation was found between TPA and PAI-1 levels, and an interaction between age and TPA was observed when the sample was stratified according to ages S troke is a major thrombotic complication of ath-erosclerosis and a leading cause of morbidityand mortality in Western countries. Individuals who smoke, who have high plasma levels of cholesterol or glucose or high blood pressure, or who are obese ar