Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026

A Thrombotic Stroke Model Based On Transient Cerebral Hypoxia-ischemia
Published on: August 18, 2015
Elevated prothrombin is a risk factor for cerebral arterial ischemia in young adults
E B Gómez Garcia1, M P J van Goor, F W G Leebeek
1Department of Hematology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. e.b.gomezgarcia@azr.nl
Abstract:
The prevalence of elevated prothrombin (PT) in the absence of the G20210A mutation has not been studied in patients with cerebral ischemia. We carried out a case-control study of PT G20210A and PT activity in 49 adult patients aged 45 years or less, with TIA or ischemic stroke without cardiac embolism or large vessel disease, and 87 controls from a group of blood donors. Five patients were heterozygous for PT 20210A (OR=2.3, 95% CI: 0.6-8.0). Even after exclusion of individuals with the PT gene variant, the PT activity was significantly higher in patients than in controls (1.11 vs. 0.97, P=0.0003). The relative risk of cerebral ischemia in patients within the fourth quartile of PT activity (1.10 U/ml or higher), was 3.2 fold (95% CI: 1.03-9.96), than in patients whose level of PT activity was in the second or third quartile. We conclude that, although PT 20210A may be a weak risk factor for TIA and ischemic stroke in young patients, increased PT activity, which is more frequent than the mutation, appears to be more strongly related to cerebral ischemia.
Related Concept Videos
Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care
Ischemic Stroke l: Introduction
Hemorrhagic Stroke l: Introduction
Hemorrhagic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
Transient Ischemic Attack l: Introduction
Cerebral Edema ll: Pathophysiology

