Background and purpose: We investigated plasma levels of D-dimer products of crosslinked fibrin degradation products, thrombin-antithrombin III complex, and plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complex for detecting coagulation system activation in ischemic stroke patients to determine the possible effect of age on these marker levels.
Methods: We measured plasma levels of these three markers in 54 acute ischemic stroke patients within 5 days of stroke onset, in 44 chronic ischemic stroke patients over 3 months from onset, and in 50 age-matched healthy subjects. We divided the stroke patients into two subgroups, those with visible occlusion and those with nonvisible occlusion having obstruction of the major cerebral artery.
Results: The plasma levels of these three markers were significantly (p less than 0.01) higher in the stroke patients than in controls. Significant differences did not exist at any level between the patients and controls in the younger-aged subjects (less than or equal to 64 years of age), but did exist in the older-aged subjects (greater than or equal to 75 years of age). An age-related increase of the marker levels was noted between stroke patients and controls. No significant difference in the three markers was found among any of the stroke patients.
Conclusions: Increased levels of these markers in stroke patients seem to be related mostly to age.