In patients undergoing stenting following AMI, abciximab exerted beneficial effects by substantially reducing the 30-day rate of major adverse cardiac events. During one-year follow-up, there was no additional benefit from a reduction in TLR nor did abciximab reduce angiographic restenosis.

Summary In contrast to earlier reports, this study examined the relationship between plasma levels of factor VIII (FVIII) and von Willebrand factor (VWF) and ABO blood group and secretor status at the genetic level in 355 patients with venous thrombosis as well as in 236 controls. ABO glycosyl transferase alleles A1 and B were more frequent in the thrombosis collective and alleles O1, O2 and A2 were more frequent in the controls. A low‐risk group for venous thrombosis of individuals with genotypes O1O1, O1O2 and O1A2 (H‐antigen rich) could be distinguished from a high‐risk group with genotypes A1A1, A1B, O1A1 and O1B (H‐antigen poor). In both the thrombosis and control groups, the H‐antigen rich group showed significantly lower levels of FVIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C) and VWF antigen (VWF:Ag) than the H‐antigen poor group. The frequency of the different secretor genotypes in the thrombosis group was not different from that in the control group. No significant differences of FVIII:C and VWF:Ag levels were seen between SeSe, Sese and sese individuals in the thrombosis and in the control group. Thus the risk of venous thrombosis is associated with the ABO blood group genotype but not with secretor status.

Our data suggest that the risk of recurrent stroke in subjects with PFO is not significantly increased in comparison with subject without it.

BackgroundActivated protein C (APC) resistance is the most common inherited prothrombotic disorder. The role of APC resistance in ischemic stroke is controversially discussed.ObjectivesThe aim of this single center follow up study was to investigate the effect of APC resistance on stroke recurrence and survival in stroke patients.Patients/MethodsWe retrospectively identified 966 patients who had had an ischemic stroke or transitory ischemic attack (TIA) and in whom laboratory tests for APC resistance had been conducted. These patients were contacted to determine the primary outcomes of recurrent ischemic stroke or death.ResultsA total of 858 patients with an average follow up time of 8.48 years were included. APC resistance did not influence cumulative incidence functions for stroke free and total survival. In multivariate analyses, crude and adjusted hazard ratios for recurrent stroke as well as for death where not significantly increased in patients with APC resistance. This also applies to the subgroups of young patients, patients with cryptogenic stroke and patients with atrial fibrillation.ConclusionAPC-resistance is not a risk factor for subsequent stroke or death in patients with a first ischemic stroke or TIA. Testing for APC-resistance in stroke patients therefore cannot be routinely recommended.

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