Persistent increase of leukocyte aggregation in a patient with relapsing ischemic stroke and ulcerative colitis

There is an increased incidence of central nervous system thromboembolic events in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The possible pathogenetic link between the two diseases is not clear. Experimental and clinical observations suggest the possible role of leukocyte activation in the induction of ischemic and inflammatory events. In a patient with relapsing ischemic stroke and ulcerative colitis, serial determinations of leukocyte aggregation, by means of the modified leukergy test, were performed. A persistent increase of the percentage of aggregated leukocytes with values much higher than those of healthy subjects and patients with ischemic stroke was found during and between the episodes of ischemia and inflammation. The particular temporal pattern of clinical and hemorheological alterations suggests that the persistent activation of leukocytes may represent a risk factor for the development of both ischemic and inflammatory disease.