OBJECTIVETo study the correlationship between TCM Syndrome type with changes of neutrophil surface intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and platelet membrane P selectin (CD62P) in patients with ischemic stroke for exploring the pathogenesis of the disease.

METHODSSeventy-two patients with ischemic stroke were dividcd into 3 typing groups according to TCM syndrome-differentiation, the Meridian-phlegm stagnancy group (MPS), the visceral phlegm-heat accumulation group (VPHA) and the qi-deficiency with blood stasis group (QDBS), 24 in each group. Besides, a control group consisted of 24 healthy subjects was set up. Blood levels of ICAM-1 and CDP62 expression were monitored by flow cytometry.

RESULTSBlood levels of ICAM-1 and CD62P expression in ischemic stroke patients were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects (P < 0.01). Among the three type groups, ICAM-1 expression was significantly higher in MPS than that in the VPHA and the QDBS group (P<0.01), and CD62P expression in the MPS and the QDBS group was significantly higher than that in the VPHA (P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONBlood levels of ICAM-1 and CD62P expression in different typing of patients with ischemic stroke are different. ICAM-1 expression reflects the pathological state of phlegm retention or phlegm-stasis mutual bindings, CD62P expression reflected the blood stasis state in organism, these evidences suggest that MPS may be the key pathogenic factor of ischemic stroke.