Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2: A Risk Factor for Ischemic Stroke?

Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate whether there is an association between lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 (Lp- PLA2) and stroke occurrence. Methods: Fifty-two patients with acute ischemic stroke within the 24 hours of the event, and age and gender matched 42 control subjects were enrolled to the study. This is a randomised, casecontrolled, observational study, involving patients and control subjects admitted to the Neurology Department of Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital between December 2009 and May 2010. Results: The mean Lp-PLA2 level was 207.3±107.3 ng/ml in the patient group, and 128.6±10.3 ng/ml in controls. The difference between patients and control groups were statistically significant (p 0.01). Conclusion: The results of our study revealed that Lp-PLA2 plays a role in ischemic stroke and can be considered as an early indicator for atherosclerosis. There is still need for comprehensive studies with larger patient groups in order to clarify an accurate deduction.