The Relation Between Serum P-selectin, Thrombin-activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor Levels, and Carotid Artery Intima-media Thickness in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Objective: Inflammation and migration of leukocytes to the brain parenchyma play a role in atherosclerosis and cerebral ischemic stroke. Migration occurs with the help of adhesion molecules on the surface of cerebral endothelial cells and leukocytes. P-selectin, an adhesion molecule, is present on the platelet and endothelial surface and allows leukocytes to loosely adhere to the endothelium, and its increase has been shown in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is a procarboxypeptidase molecule that can be another marker of AIS, which has been shown to increase the risk of thromboembolism and stroke 6-fold. Intima-media thickness (IMT) is thought to be associated with atherosclerotic diseases in carotid ultrasonography (USG) and increased risk of ischemic stroke has been found to be associated with increased carotid IMT. In this study, we investigated the relationship between P-selectin and TAFI levels, which have been shown to be effective for AIS via carotid IMT, and is considered significant for atherosclerosis.