Plasma von Willebrand factor activities in vascular Parkinsonism: comparison with Parkinson's disease

We measured the level of plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF), a marker of vascular endothelial damage, in patients with vascular parkinsonism (VP) to clarify whether the level of plasma vWF is useful in the diagnosis of VP. We examined 26 patients with VP, 26 with Parkinson's disease (PD), 26 with cerebral infarct (CI), and 26 age-matched normal controls (NC). The vWF was measured by the ristocetin cofactor assay. The level of plasma vWF in the VP group was significantly higher than that in the PD or in the NC groups (P < .01). However, there was no difference between the VP group and the CI group. These findings suggest marked endothelial cell damage in patients suffering from VP and CI. Thus, the level of plasma vWF may be useful in diagnosing VP.