BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To determine the effect of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) on outcomes in patients with severe major anterior circulation ischemic stroke. METHODS Prospectively, 649 patients with acute stroke had admission National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) scores, noncontrast computed tomography (CT), CT angiography (CTA), and 6-month outcome assessed...

Today there exists only one FDA-approved treatment for ischemic stroke; i.e., the serine protease tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA). In the aftermath of the failed stroke clinical trials with the nitrone spin trap/radical scavenger, NXY-059, a number of articles raised the question: are we doing the right thing? Is the animal research truly translational in identifying new agents for stro...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship among angiogenic cytokines, inflammatory markers, and fibrinolytic activity in tuberculous pleural effusion (TBPE) and their clinical importance. METHODS Forty-two patients diagnosed with TBPE were studied. Based on chest ultrasonography, there were 26 loculated and 16 nonloculated TBPE patients. The effusion size radiological scores and effusion vasc...

We describe a model of thromboembolic stroke in rabbits that utilizes the Seldinger technique and digital arteriography. The internal carotid arteries of 14 rabbits were catheterized selectively and embolized with autologous blood clots. After embolization, eight rabbits received IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA); the remaining six were infused with saline and served as controls. After embo...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke, it is essential to obtain rapid thrombolysis before ischemic neuronal injury occurs. To develop a new technique of thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke, the effect of transcranially applied ultrasound (TUS) on thrombolysis was examined. METHODS An occlusion model of rabbit femoral artery was produced with thrombin aft...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Previously, we have shown that hyperthermia significantly increased neuronal damage after ischemic injury in a focal embolic model of stroke in rats. In the present study, we examined the effects of hyperthermia on the efficacy of thrombolytic therapy in this stroke model. METHODS In part A, efficacy of tissue plaminogen activator (tPA) treatment was examined in normoth...

BACKGROUND Plasma markers of fibrinolytic function are associated with incident coronary events among several, but not all, prospective epidemiologic investigations of healthy individuals. Few studies have evaluated this relationship in women. In addition, although menopausal hormone therapy (HT) may alter markers of fibrinolytic function, the relevance of this effect for coronary risk assessme...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prolonged ischemia causes blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage and increases the incidence of neurovasculature complications secondary to reperfusion. Therefore, targeting ischemic BBB damage pathogenesis is critical to reducing neurovasculature complications and expanding the therapeutic time window of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) thrombolysis. This study investig...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Combined Approach to Lysis Utilizing Eptifibatide and rt-PA in Acute Ischemic Stroke-Enhanced Regimen (CLEAR-ER) trial demonstrated safety of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) plus eptifibatide in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). CLEAR-ER randomized AIS patients (5:1) to 0.6 mg/kg r-tPA plus eptifibatide versus standard r-tPA (0.9 mg/kg). Interventiona...

R ecent developments in thrombolysis therapy using tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) in combination with ultrasound for noninvasive stroke treatment are of great excitement. The first clinical trials have been successfully initiated, demonstrating the potential benefit of transcranial ultrasound in combination with tPA as an effective vessel recanalizing treatment strategy. 6–10 The use of tPA...