Platelet Activation in the Cerebral Circulation in Different Subtypes of Ischemic Stroke and Binswanger’s Disease

Background and Purpose The sites of platelet activation in ischemic stroke are still unclear because previous reports have not identified them and various factors accompanied by stroke can activate platelets. We therefore examined the sites of platelet activation in patients with various types of ischemic stroke. Methods The ratio of the plasma concentration of β-thromboglobulin (BTG) in the internal jugular vein to that in the antecubital vein (BTG-B) was calculated as an indicator of platelet activation in the cerebral circulation. Plasma BTG concentration was determined in 75 control subjects and in 186 patients with various subtypes of ischemic stroke including lacunar, atherothrombotic, and cardioembolic strokes, transient ischemic attacks, and Binswanger’s disease. The BTG ratio was evaluated with regard to subtype of stroke, time of blood sampling, size of infarct, presence of vascular lesions, and the effect of ticlopidine administration. Results The mean BTG ratio was increased even in the chroni...