1. Patients admitted to the Department of Vascular Surgery Excluded because declined to participate or had symptomatic ischemic disease in districts other than the brain,or evidence ofmajor disease or infection (n=111) Baseline clinical assessment (n=200) Baseline Age-matched healthy controls: Measurement of tK, VEGF, bFGF, and hs-CRP (n=45) Vascular patients: Baseline measurement of tK, VEGF, bFGF, and hs-CRP (n=89) No-CEA (n=48) CEA (n=41) Measurement of hTK and hs-CRP early after plastic surgery (n=10) Measurement of hTK and hs-CRP early after CEA (n=16) Measurement of hTK and hs-CRP medical treatment only (n=16) Measurement of hTK at 3 months after CEA (n=17) Follow-up Measurement of hTK and hs-CRP at 1-year follow-up (n=46) Measurement of hTK and hs-CRP at 1 year after CEA (n=38)