Abstract
Thrombomodulin (TM) is a thrombin receptor on endothelial cells. Endothelial damage allows TM to be degraded and released into the blood stream. From this standpoint, we examined whether or not the plasma level of TM represents an endothelial cell marker which can reflect the endothelial damage associated with cerebral thrombosis. The plasma levels of TM were studied in age-matched healthy subjects and in cerebral thrombosis patients during the chronic stage with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). In the control, group, a significant correlation was noted between TM (Y) and age (X) as follows : Y = 0.190X + 8.299, r =0.718, p <0.01. The basal concentrations of TM were significantly elevated in the group with cerebral thrombosis (26.18 ± 12.000 U/ml) as compared to the controls (18.79 ± 4.43 U/ ml).
Furthermore, among the patients with CVD, those with DM showed higher levels of TM (34.85 ± 21.03 U/ml) than those without DM (23.73 ± 6.31 U/ml). Thus, high TM levels could well reflect the presence of endothelial damage. In conclusion, the level of TM in the plasma is considered to be a potential marker of the presence of endothelial injury associated with cerebral thrombosis.
