Erythrocyte aggregability in subtypes of cerebral infarction

We examined erythrocyte aggregability (RBC-A) in 108 patients with acute-atage (less than 72 hours after onset) cerebral infarction (85 males, 23 females; age, 40–78 (61±10 (mean±SD)) YO) and 52 age-matched healthy volunteers (37 males and 15 females, 59±9 YO). The subtypes of these patients were atherothrombotic infarction (N=31, 62+10 YO), lacunar infarction (N=58, 61±9 YO) and cardioembolic infarction (N=19, 60±10 YO). RBC-A was examined using the whole-blood erythrocyte aggregometer developed by us (Am. J. Physio!. 251, H1205-H1210, 1986) with concomitant measurement of hematocrit, albumin:globulin ratio and fibrinogen concentration. RBC-A values in atherothrombotic infarction (0.153±0.026/s), lacunar infarction (0.154±0.021/s) and cardioem bolic infarction (0.163±0.022/s) were significantly (P<0.01) higher than that in age-mlitched healthy volunteers (0.122±0.027/s). Fibrinogen concentrations in atherothrombotic infarction (391±93 mg/dl), lacunar infarction (333±79 mg/dl) and cardioembolic infarction (423±66 mg/dl) were also significantly (P<0.01) higher than that in agematched healthy volunteers (294±73 mg/dl). Fibrinogen concentration in atherothrombotic infarction and cardioembolic infarction were significantly (P<0.01) higher than that in lacunar infarction. Albumin;globulin ratio in cardioembolic infarction (1.42±0.26) was significantly (P<0.05) lower than those in atherothrombotic infarction (1.66±0.29), lacunar infarction (1.76±0.31) and healthy volunteers (1.79±0.31) We conclude that RBC-A was enhanced in all subtypes of acute-stage cerebral infarction and there were no differences in RBC-A among subtypes.