Correlations of carotid intima-media thickness, plasma protein z, and fibrinogen in patients with cerebral infarction

The study aim was to investigate the situations of the carotid Intima-Media Thickness (cIMT) and atherosclerotic plaques in the patients with Cerebral Infarction (CI) as well as their correlations with Plasma protein Z (PZ) and Fibrinogen (FIB). 75 CI patients and 35 non-CI patients were performed carotid ultrasonography to measure their cIMT and to observe the situations of atherosclerotic plaques for the comparative analysis; the venous blood was sampled within 24 h after the admission for the detection of PZ and FIB. The bilateral cIMT values in the study group were significantly higher than the control group (P<0.01); the values of PZ and FIB in the study group were significantly higher (P<0.05). The increasing of cIMT in the study group was positively correlated with PZ and FIB (r=2.365, P<0.01). The incidence rate of atherosclerotic plaques in the study group was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.01). The increasing of cIMT was positively correlated with PZ and FIB; the cIMT increasing together with the levels of PZ and FIB was the important risk factor of CI.