In the arterial IS group, no significant variation was found between patients and controls of Caucasian origin regarding the prevalence of factor V Leiden (P = 0.92), the prothrombin variant (P = 0.13) or homozygosity for MTHFR-T (P = 0.61).
Increased Lp (a) levels, the FV G1691A mutation, protein C deficiency, the prothrombinG20210A variant, and the MTHFR TT677 are important risk factors for spontaneous ischemic stroke in childhood.
While FV G1691A and prothrombin G20210 A mutations show no significant data in our study, lipoprotein (a) levels >30 mg/dl protein C deficiency, anticardiolipin antibodies and combined prothrombotic disorders seem to be important risk factors for manifestation of ischaemic strokes in children with underlying cardiac disorders.
The recently described G20210-->A transition in the 3'-untranslated region of the prothrombin gene is an inherited risk factor for CVT but obviously not for acute ischemic stroke or TIA.
In view of recent reports of an increased risk for ischemic cerebral vascular disease in patients with the prothrombin 20210A mutation, we suggest that many of the reported cases of ischemic stroke and protein C deficiency may have had additional prothrombotic disorders such as the prothrombin mutation.