von Willebrand Factor Antigen, von Willebrand Factor Propeptide, and ADAMTS13 in Carotid Stenosis and Their Relationship with Cerebral Microemboli.

BACKGROUND

 The relationship between von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF propeptide (VWFpp), VWFpp/VWF:Ag ratio, ADAMTS13 activity, and microembolic signal (MES) status in carotid stenosis is unknown.

METHODS

 This prospective, multicenter study simultaneously assessed plasma VWF:Ag levels, VWFpp levels and ADAMTS13 activity, and their relationship with MES in asymptomatic versus symptomatic moderate-to-severe (≥50-99%) carotid stenosis patients. One-hour transcranial Doppler ultrasound of the middle cerebral arteries classified patients as MES+ve or MES-ve.

RESULTS

 Data from 34 asymptomatic patients were compared with 43 symptomatic patients in the "early phase" (≤4 weeks) and 37 patients in the "late phase" (≥3 months) after transient ischemic attack (TIA)/ischemic stroke. VWF:Ag levels were higher (

DISCUSSION

 VWF:Ag expression, a marker of endothelial ± platelet activation, is enhanced in recently symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid stenosis patients, including in MES-ve patients, and decreases with ADAMTS13 activity over time following atherosclerotic TIA/ischemic stroke.

Informations de copyright

Thieme. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

S.J.X.M. reports grants from Trinity College Dublin Innovation Bursary, Meath Foundation, Joint IICN/Merck Serono Fellowship in Neuroscience, The Vascular Neurology Research Foundation, unrestricted educational grant from Bayer HealthCare Ireland, and unrestricted educational grant from Verum Diagnostica, GmbH, outside the submitted work.S.T.L. reports grants from Meath Foundation, the Irish Institute of Clinical Neuroscience (IICN)/Novartis Ireland Fellowship Grant, the Irish Heart Foundation Stroke Prevention Bursary, the Vascular Neurology Research Foundation, Ireland, and unrestricted educational grant funding from Biogen Idec Ireland, outside the submitted work.D.J.H.M. reports grants from the Trinity College Dublin Innovation Bursary, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, the Meath Foundation, Ireland, Joint IICN/Merck Serono Fellowship in Neuroscience, the Vascular Neurology Research Foundation, Bayer HealthCare Ireland, Verum Diagnostica, GmbH, the Irish Institute of Clinical Neuroscience (IICN)/Novartis Ireland Fellowship Grant, the Irish Heart Foundation Stroke Prevention Bursary, and Biogen Idec Ireland, during the conduct of the study.