The share of platelets in the process of atherosclerosis and its thrombotic complications depends on the rate of their activation, which can be assessed by investigating the plasmatic levels of platelet factor 4 (PF4). Authors made use of this method in 68 patients with ischemic stroke and searched for the correlation between the found results, clinical picture and supposed etiopathogenesis of the disease. On the grounds of given findings they reached the conclusion that the increased PF4 levels represent no sign of a cerebral complication but only characterize the group of risky patients threatened by their platelets function status.

Department of Neurology University Hospital Hradec Králové