scholarly journals Inpatient Hypercoagulable Testing, a Single Institution Experience

Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 4474-4474
Author(s):  
Harel Ronen ◽  
Nakul Singhal ◽  
Colette Spaccavento

Abstract Introduction Hereditary thrombophilia describes an inherited tendency to form venous or arterial thrombosis second to loss of natural anticoagulants. The optimal patient populations to test for these thrombophilic states are controversial. No accepted guidelines exist for whom to test, but consensus among many experts is that a targeted approach should be taken. Both the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) suggest testing the following patients: Idiopathic VTE at <50 years old, recurrent VTE, and unusual sites of VTE (e.g., mesenteric, portal, hepatic) [1,2]. Hypercoagulable testing should not be done during acute thrombosis or while receiving anticoagulation. Given our clinical observations, we hypothesized that hypercoagulable testing is often done without the proper indication and performed at an inappropriate time at our institution. A single institution study was performed at our hospital from January '13 through August '13 reviewing inpatients that had Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin Gene mutations, Antithrombin, Protein C, and Protein S antigens or activities ordered, and evaluated as to whether or not they were ordered in concordance with the CAP and ACMG indications. Results from that study illustrated that of the 43 patients that had these tests ordered; only 13 were ordered based on appropriate indications from CAP and ACMG. Of those 13 patients, all were tested at an inappropriate time, either during an acute thrombosis or while on anticoagulation. The departments responsible for ordering the majority of the tests were Medicine, Neurology and Ob/Gyn., making up greater than 75% of the orders. In view of this information we designed an intervention to further educate the staff and to evaluate its outcome. Methods From September '14 through December '14, we educated the staff responsible for ordering these tests via instructional seminars. Each department was educated separately, and was given 30 minute lectures reviewing the utilities, indications and appropriate timing of ordering a thrombophilic workup. This was repeated several times over the course of the three month period. We then retrospectively reviewed charts of hospitalized patients at our hospital from January '15 through August '15. A patient must have had the following tests ordered to be included in the study: Factor V Leiden mutation, Prothrombin Gene mutation, Antithrombin, Protein C, and Protein S antigens or activities. Data compiled from electronic databases included age, clinical indication for hypercoagulable workup, ordering service, and whether or not anticoagulation was present during testing. These indications were then compared to the indications recommended by both the CAP and the ACMG listed above. If testing occurred for a non-approved indication, during acute thrombosis, or while patients were receiving anticoagulation it was deemed inappropriate. Results 22 patients had inpatient hypercoaguable testing sent over the time period of January '15 through June '15 as compared to 43 tested from January '13 through August '13, prior to the intervention. Of the 22 patients, 3/22 (14%) were tested appropriately according to the CAP and ACMG recommendations. However, all 3 patients had hypercoaguable testing sent inappropriately when timing was analyzed; all were tested during an acute thrombosis or while on anticoagulation. When comparing the current data to that prior to the intervention, there was a trend of decreasing number of hypercoaguable tests ordered. The departments given the seminar all had a decreasing trend in tests ordered. Despite this, the majority of the tests ordered after the interventions were still ordered incorrectly or while either on anticoagulant treatment or during an acute thrombosis. Discussion Hypercoagulable testing is being over utilized in the inpatient setting, largely because it is being performed for inappropriate indications and during suboptimal conditions. Principally, this is due to lack of knowledge on the indications and timing of ordering these thrombophilic tests. Here we demonstrate how education, in the form of lectures and seminars, can inform the staff on how and when to order these hypercoaguable panels. This study acts as a template to illustrate how education in the form of brief and repeated seminars can help change practice habits, provide better quality care and prevent inappropriate testing. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Author(s):  
A.A. Abrishamizadeh

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality with significant socioeconomic impact especially when it affects young patients. Compared to the older adults, the incidence, risk factors, and etiology are distinctly different in younger IS. Hypercoagulable states are relatively more commonly detected in younger IS patients.Thrombophilic states are disorders of hemostatic mechanisms that result in a predisposition to thrombosis .Thrombophilia is an established cause of venous thrombosis. Therefore, it is tempting to assume that these disorders might have a similar relationship with arterial thrombosis. Despite this fact that 1-4 % of ischemic strokes are attributed to Thrombophillia, this   alone rarely causes arterial occlusions .Even in individuals with a positive thrombophilia screen and arterial thrombosis, the former might not be the primary etiological factor.Thrombophilic   disorders can be broadly divided into inherited or acquired conditions. Inherited thrombophilic states include deficiencies of natural anticoagulants such as protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III (AT III) deficiency, polymorphisms causing resistance to activated protein C(Factor V Leiden mutation), and disturbance in the clotting balance (prothrombin gene 20210G/A variant). Of all the inherited  thrombophilic disorders, Factor V Leiden mutation is perhaps the commonest cause. On the contrary, acquired thrombophilic disorders are more common and include conditions such as the antiphospholipid syndrome, associated with lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies.The more useful and practical approach of ordering various diagnostic tests for the uncommon thrombophilic states tests should be determined by a detailed clinical history, physical examination, imaging studies and evaluating whether an underlying hypercoagulable state appears more likely.The laboratory thrombophilia   screening should be comprehensive and avoid missing the coexisting defect and It is important that a diagnostic search protocol includes tests for both inherited and acquired thrombophilic disorders.Since the therapeutic approach (anticoagulation and thrombolytic therapy) determines the clinical outcomes, early diagnosis of the thrombophilic  disorders plays an important role. Furthermore, the timing of test performance of some of the  thrombophilic  defects (like protein C, protein S, antithrombin III and fibrinogen levels) is often critical since these proteins can behave as acute phase reactants and erroneously elevated levels of these factors may be observed in patients with acute thrombotic events. On the other hand, the plasma levels of vitamin K-dependent proteins (protein C, protein S and APC resistance) may not be reliable in patients taking vitamin K antagonists. Therefore, it is suggested that plasma-based assays for these disorders should be repeated3 to 6 months after the initial thrombotic episode to avoid false-positive results and avoid unnecessary prolonged   anticoagulation therapy. The assays for these disorders are recommended after discontinuation of oral anticoagulant treatment or heparin for at least 2 weeks.    


Neurosurgery ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rüediger Gerlach ◽  
Martina Boehm-Weigert ◽  
Joachim Berkefeld ◽  
Judith Duis ◽  
Andreas Raabe ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Numerous studies have reported the technical aspects and results of surgical and/or endovascular treatment of cranial dural arteriovenous fistulae (cDAVF) and spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae (sDAVF). Only a few of them have addressed the question of thrombophilic conditions, which may be relevant as pathogenetic factors or can increase the risk for venous thromboembolic events. Therefore, the objective of this study is to compare thrombophilic risk factors in patients with cDAVF and sDAVF with no history of trauma. METHODS A total of 43 patients (25 with cDAVF and 18 with sDAVF) were included in this study. Blood samples were analyzed for G20210A mutation of the prothrombin gene and factor V Leiden mutation. In all patients, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, fibrinogen, antithrombin, protein C and S activity, von Willebrand factor antigen, ristocetin cofactor activity, D-dimer, coagulation factor VIII activity, and tissue factor pathway inhibitor were determined. Screening was performed for the occurrence of lupus antiphospholipid and cardiolipin antibodies. RESULTS The prevalence of G20210A mutation of the prothrombin gene was significantly higher in patients with cDAVF (n = 6) compared with patients with sDAVF (n = 0; P &lt; 0.05, Fisher's exact test). A factor V Leiden mutation was found in 3 patients with sDAVF and in 1 patient with cDAVF (P = 0.29, Fisher's exact test). No significant difference was found for other parameters, except for fibrinogen, but decreased protein C activity was more frequent in patients with cDAVF compared with patients with sDAVF (4 versus 1). Decreased protein S activity was encountered in 3 patients (2 with sDAVF and 1 with cDAVF). Cardiolipin antibodies were found in 2 patients with cDAVF but in none with sDAVF, whereas only 1 patient with sDAVF had lupus antiphospholipid antibodies. CONCLUSION In both groups of patients with dural arteriovenous fistulae, genetic thrombophilic abnormalities occurred in a higher percentage than in the general population. The differences of the genetic abnormalities may be involved in different pathophysiological mechanism(s) in the development of these distinct neurovascular entities.


1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (08) ◽  
pp. 662-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra J. Hasstedt ◽  
Mark F. Leppert ◽  
George L. Long ◽  
Edwin G. Bovill

IntroductionNearly 150 years ago, Virchow postulated that thrombosis was caused by changes in the flow of blood, the vessel wall, or the composition of blood. This concept created the foundation for subsequent investigation of hereditary and acquired hypercoagulable states. This review will focus on an example of the use of modern genetic epidemiologic analysis to evaluate the multigenic pathogenesis of the syndrome of juvenile thrombophilia.Juvenile thrombophilia has been observed clinically since the time of Virchow and is characterized by venous thrombosis onset at a young age, recurrent thrombosis, and a positive family history for thrombosis. The pathogenesis of juvenile thrombophilia remained obscure until the Egeberg observation, in 1965, of a four generation family with juvenile thrombophilia associated with a heterozygous antithrombin deficiency subsequently identified as antithrombin Oslo (G to A in the triplet coding for Ala 404).1,2 The association of a hereditary deficiency of antithrombin III with thrombosis appeared to support the hypothesis, first put forward by Astrup in 1958, of a thrombohemorrhagic balance.3 He postulated that there is a carefully controlled balance between clot formation and dissolution and that changes in conditions, such as Virchow’s widely encompassing triad, could tip the balance toward thrombus formation.The importance of the thrombohemorrhagic balance in hypercoagulable states has been born out of two lines of investigation: evidence supporting the tonic activation of the hemostatic mechanism and the subsequent description of additional families with antithrombin deficiency and other genetically abnormal hemostatic proteins associated with inherited thrombophilia. Assessing the activation of the hemostatic mechanism in vivo is achieved by a variety of measures, including assays for activation peptides generated by coagulation enzyme activity. Activation peptides, such as prothrombin fragment1+2, are measurable in normal individuals, due to tonic hemostatic activity and appear elevated in certain families with juvenile thrombophilia.4 In the past 25 years since Egeberg’s description of antithrombin deficiency, a number of seemingly monogenic, autosomal dominant, variably penetrant hereditary disorders have been well established as risk factors for venous thromboembolic disease. These disorders include protein C deficiency, protein S deficiency, antithrombin III deficiency, the presence of the factor V Leiden mutation, and the recently reported G20210A prothrombin polymorphism.5,6 These hereditary thrombophilic syndromes exhibit considerable variability in the severity of their clinical manifestations. A severe, life-threatening risk for thrombosis is conferred by homozygous protein C or protein S deficiency, which if left untreated, leads to death.7,8 Homozygous antithrombin III deficiency has not been reported but is also likely to be a lethal condition. Only a moderate risk for thrombosis is conferred by the homozygous state for factor V Leiden or the G20210A polymorphism.9,10 In contrast to homozygotes, the assessment of risk in heterozygotes, with these single gene disorders, has been complicated by variable clinical expression in family members with identical genotypes.11 Consideration of environmental interactions has not elucidated the variability of clinical expression. Consequently, it has been postulated that more than one genetic risk factor may co-segregate with a consequent cumulative or synergistic effect on thrombotic risk.12 A number of co-segregating risk factors have been described in the past few years. Probably the best characterized interactions are between the common factor V Leiden mutation, present in 3% to 6% of the Caucasian population,13,14 and the less common deficiencies of protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III. The factor V Leiden mutation does not, by itself, confer increased risk of thrombosis. The high prevalence of the mutation, however, creates ample opportunity for interaction with other risk factors when present.The G20210A prothrombin polymorphism has a prevalence of 1% to 2% in the Caucasian population and, thus, may play a similar role to factor V Leiden. A number of small studies have documented an interaction of G20210A with other risk factors.15-17 A limited evaluation of individuals with antithrombin III, protein C, or protein S deficiency revealed a frequency of 7.9% for the G20210A polymorphism, as compared to a frequency of 0.7% for controls.18 The G20210A polymorphism was observed in only 1 of the 6 protein C-deficient patients.18 In the present state, the elucidation of risk factors for venous thromboembolic disease attests to the effectiveness of the analytical framework constructed from the molecular components of Virchow’s triad, analyzed in the context of the thrombohemorrhagic balance hypothesis. Two investigative strategies have been used to study thromobophilia: clinical case-control studies and genetic epidemiologic studies. The latter strategy has gained considerable utility, based on the remarkable advances in molecular biology over the past two decades. Modern techniques of genetic analysis of families offer important opportunities to identify cosegregation of risk factors with disease.19 The essence of the genetic epidemiologic strategy is the association of clinical disease with alleles of specific genes. It is achieved either by the direct sequencing of candidate genes or by demonstration of linkage to genetic markers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Maria Khan ◽  
Chaudhry Altaf ◽  
Hamid Saeed Malik ◽  
Muhammad Abdul Naeem ◽  
Aamna Latif

Background. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is referred to as formation of clots in a deep vein or lodging of thrombus towards the lungs which could be fatal yet preventable. The risk of developing VTE can be increased by various factors. Where there are innumerable acquired causes, the possibility of inherited thrombophilia cannot be ignored. In view of this, we have evaluated all patients with venous thromboembolism for inherited thrombophilia. Objective. To evaluate the frequencies of antithrombin (AT) deficiency, protein C and S deficiencies, Factor V Leiden, and prothrombin gene mutations in patients harboring venous thromboembolism. Materials and Methods. A study comprising of 880 patients who were presented with manifestations of venous thromboembolism was conducted from July 2016 to June 2017. A blood sample collected from patients was screened for thrombophilia defects encompassing AT, protein C and S deficiencies, Factor V Leiden, and prothrombin gene mutations. All acquired causes of thrombosis were excluded. Results. Of 880 patients who underwent screening for thrombophilia, 182 patients demonstrated VTE history. Their age ranged from 1 to 58 years. Males constituted a predominant group. About 45 (24.7%) patients had evidence of heritable thrombophilia. Of these, 20 (10.9%) had AT deficiency, 9 (4.9%) had Factor V Leiden mutation, 6 (3.2%) had protein C deficiency, whereas protein S deficiency and prothrombin gene mutation both were found in 5 (2.7%) patients. Conclusion. Our study illustrated the highest frequency of antithrombin deficiency among other investigated thrombophilia defects.


Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 2318-2318
Author(s):  
Junghyun Park ◽  
Marc Rodger

Introduction Thrombophilia testing in unprovoked venous thromboembolism patients (VTE) is controversial. Common thrombophilias such as Factor V Leiden or prothrombin gene variant appear to not importantly increase the risk of VTE recurrence, and thus are not considered in anticoagulation management decisions. However, patients with potent thrombophilias such as antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA), antithrombin deficiency, protein C and S deficiency, and homozygous genetic thrombophilias or combined defects are at higher risk of recurrence and it is recommended that they receive long-term anticoagulation. If the proportion of patients with "potent" thrombophilia is high then thrombophilia testing should be conducted. We sought to determine the proportion of unprovoked VTE patients with "potent" thrombophilia. Methods All patients with managed in our oral anticoagulation management system in the period from 1998 to 2015 were potentially eligible for the study. Inclusion criteria were: 1) symptomatic, objectively confirmed VTE unprovoked proximal deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Exclusion criteria were: 1) cancer or myeloproliferative disease at the time of VTE diagnosis; 2) no cast, surgery, trauma or immobilization (>3 days in bed 90% of waking hours) in the 90 days prior to diagnosis. We selected unprovoked VTE patients diagnosed between 2002 and 2010, as thrombophilia testing was relatively universal and available in our electronic system in that time frame (N=1344). We then selected a convenience sample of N=1165. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients with "potent" thrombophilia (potent= homozygous Factor V Leiden, homozygous Prothrombin gene variant, APLA, protein C, protein S or anti-thrombin deficiency or combined deficiencies). Results In 1165 patients with unprovoked VTE, complete screening was done in 470 patients (40.34%) and 976 (83.78%) had at least one thrombophilia test. Complete thrombophilia testing was defined as a screen including testing for factor V Leiden, prothrombin gene defect, APLA, anti-thrombin deficiency, protein C, and protein S. Potent thrombophilias were demonstrated in 103/1165 patients (8.84%; 95% CI, 7.34 to 10.61) (Table 2) in the total study population, and 103/976 (10.55%; 95% CI, 9.62-14.47) in patients with at least one thrombophilia test. Conclusion The proportion of unprovoked VTE patients with "potent" thrombophilia is high. Given a high proportion of "potent' thrombophilia patients who likely benefit from indefinite anticoagulation, complete thrombophilia testing appears warranted in patients with unprovoked VTE in whom anticoagulants maybe discontinued. Thrombophilia testing is warranted for a selected group of patients to detect high-risk thrombophilias that could impact anticoagulation management. Table 1. Thrombophilia screening Complete screening 470 (40.3%) No screening 189 (16.2%) At least one thrombophilia test 976 (83.8%) Table 2. Thrombophilia All patients (n=1165) Tested for individual thrombophilia % 95% CI % 95% CI FVL Heterozygous 162/1165 (13.9%) 12.0-16.0% 162/883 (18.4%) 15.9-21.0% FVL Homozygous 4/1165 (0.3%) 0.1-0.9% 4/883 (0.5%) 0.2-1.2% Prothrombin Heterozygous 63/1165 (5.4%) 4.3-6.9% 63/831 (7.6%) 6.0-9.6% Prothrombin Homozygous 1/1165 (0.0%) 0.0-0.5% 1/831 (0.1%) 0.0-0.7% Antithrombin deficiency 10/1165 (0.9%) 0.5-1.6% 10/815 (1.2%) 0.7-2.2% Protein C deficiency 18/1165 (1.6%) 1.0-2.4% 18/639 (2.8%) 1.8-4.4% Protein S deficiency 13/1165 (1.1%) 0.7-1.9% 13/635 (2.1%) 1.2-3.5% Lupus anticoagulant 24/1165 (2.1%) 1.4-3.1% 24/849 (2.8%) 1.9-4.2% Anticardiolipin IgM 16/1165 (1.4%) 0.9-2.2% 16/886 (1.8%) 1.1-2.9% Anticardiolipin IgG 20/1165 (1.7%) 1.1-2.6% 20/885 (2.2%) 1.5-3.5% β-2 microglobulin IgM 10/1165 (0.9%) 0.5-1.6% 10/333 (3.0%) 1.6-5.4% β-2 microglobulin IgG 8/1165 (0.7%) 0.4-1.4% 8/333 (2.4%) 1.2-4.7% Homocysteine 50/1165 (5.7%) 4.3-7.4% 50/668 (7.5%) 5.7-9.7% Factor VIII elevated 11/1165 (0.9%) 0.5-1.7% 11/646 (1.7%) 1.0-3.0% At least one or more of the above 331/1165 (28.4%) 25.9-31.1% 331/976 (33.9%) 31.0-36.9% Potent thrombophilia 103/1165 (8.8%) 7.34-10.6% 103/976 (10.6%) 9.6-14.5% Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 3973-3973
Author(s):  
Pritesh R. Patel ◽  
Manila Gaddh ◽  
Sunita Nathan ◽  
Griza Decebal ◽  
Rosalind Catchatourian ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Although much is known about the incidence of hypercoagulable disorders in the Caucasian population, data is lacking in many other racial groups. We therefore retrospectively analyzed charts of all patients referred to our inner city hospital’s general hematology clinic from January 2003 to December 2006 for evaluation of possible hypercoagulable state. Methods: We reviewed charts for all patients referred for investigation of thrombophilia or hypercoagulable state seen in our clinic. Data regarding history of thrombosis was recorded. In the case of venous thromboembolic disease possible precipitants were noted. Demographic data and family history were noted. A clinical diagnosis of hypercoagulability was made based on whether the patient had any of the following: age <40; strong family history of thrombosis; unusual location of thrombosis; 2 or more thrombotic events; lack of precipitant to thrombotic episode. Laboratory data was gathered on the following: factor V leiden mutation; prothrombin gene mutation; MTHFR mutation; antithrombin III levels; protein C and protein S function; antiphospholipid antibodies. Results: 59 patients were referred. Of these 12 patients were excluded from further analysis as the reason for referral was investigation of ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction. Using the above clinical criteria 33 patients were identified as having hypercoagulability. Diagnoses and demographics are noted in tables 1 and 2. Conclusions: Our study illustrates several important practical points about the investigation of hypercoagulable patients. A larger number of protein C or S deficiencies would likely have been diagnosed had these studies been performed prior to starting anticoagulation. Similarly it is likely that the proportion of patients diagnosed with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is high as it is possible to test for this condition whilst patients are anticoagulated. It is therefore appropriate that the best time for testing be disseminated more widely to general internal medicine providers. Importantly it appears that certain diagnostic tests would have a much higher yield in minority populations. It is likely that resources would be better allocated if African American patients in particular were tested initially for the antiphospholipid antibodies and activated protein C resistance rather than prothrombin gene mutations or factor V Leiden. Further prospective studies are planned to confirm these findings. Baseline demographics Race Gender Age Male Female <40 years >40 years All patients 12 21 22 11 African American 6 12 11 7 White 3 5 5 3 Hispanic 1 3 4 0 Asian 2 1 2 1 Diagnosis by ethnic group Race Diagnosis Antiphospholipid Protein S def. ATIII def. V Leiden MTHFR Multiple Disorders Unknown No cases of Protein C deficiency or Prothrombin Gene Mutation identified All patients 12 3 3 1 (heterozygous) 1 2 15 African American 5 2 2 0 1 1 9 White 3 0 0 1 (heterozygous) 0 0 4 Hispanic 2 1 1 0 0 1 1 Asian 2 0 0 0 0 0 1


1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Koneti Rao ◽  
Sunita Sheth ◽  
Robert Kaplan

Hypercoagulable states are a group of conditions associated with increased predisposition to thromboembolic events. Most of the inherited abnormalities recognized to date are associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE) rather than arterial thrombosis. The well-recognized inherited hypercoagulable states are the deficiencies of antithrombin, protein C and protein S, and the resistance to APC (factor V Leiden). These entities represent aberrations in the natural anticoagulant systems that exist in plasma. Other causes of inherited thrombophilia include abnormalities in the proteins of the fibrinolytic system, dysfibrinogenemias, deficiency of heparin cofactor II, abnormal thrombomodulin, elevated levels of histidine-rich glycoprotein, and the recently described variation in the prothrombin gene. One entity that has become firmly established as a predisposing factor for recurrent VTE is hyperhomocysteinemia. About half of VTE episodes in patients with inherited thrombophilias occur in relation to events that are generally recognized as predisposing states, such as surgery, pregnancy (particularly puerperium) and immobilization. In this review, the risks of VTE associated with inherited risk factors are discussed, and guidelines for the diagnosis and management are presented.


2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lothar Heilmann ◽  
Georg-Friedrich v. Tempelhoff ◽  
Kuhnhart Pollow

Preeclampsia/HELLP syndrome has been associated with a high incidence of defects in the protein C pathway and increased anticardiolipin-antibodies/lupus anticoagulants. It is also apparent that thrombophilia is responsible for other pregnancy complications, such as recurrent spontaneous abortion, fetal growth restriction, intrauterine fetal death, and abruptio placentae. ProC® Global is a new global clotting assay designed to evaluate the abnormalities in the protein C anticoagulant pathway. It is based on the ability of endogenous activated protein C, generated by activation of protein C by Protac®, to prolong an activated partial thromboplastin time. A total of 61 patients with a history of severe preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome and 61 normal pregnant women (controls) were evaluated, 15 of whom had factor V Leiden mutation, 12 had protein C/S deficiency, 30 had a repeated lupus anticoagulants, and 27 increased anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA). All carriers of factor V Leiden mutation (N= 15) as well as all the patients with low activated protein C (APC) resistance ratio (N= 15) had a ProC® Global normalized ratio (NR) less than 0.80 (sensitivity 100%). Twenty-four patients positive for the lupus anticoagulants (LA) and 19 patients positive for ACA (> 5.0 IgG U/mL) had a ProC® Global NR less than 0.8, while six and eight, respectively, had a ProC® Global NR greater than 0.8 (sensitivity, 70%-80%). The detection of a reduced protein C/protein S activity (<70%) was low (sensitivity, 33%-44%). In 25 cases with pathologic ProC® Global results, a thrombophilic defect (protein S/LA/ACA without APC resistance) was diagnosed in 18 women; but in 7 cases, no known thrombophilic defect was present. ProC® Global is a new screening test to identify patients with defects of the protein C system and an activated clotting system in preeclampsia but cannot correctly cover each thrombophilic component.


1996 ◽  
Vol 75 (06) ◽  
pp. 899-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudi G J Westendorp ◽  
Pieter H Reitsma ◽  
Rogier M Bertina

SummaryPatients with severe meningococcal infection are characterized by extensive microvascular thrombosis, consumption coagulopathy and secondary hemorrhages. The contribution of the inherited prethrombotic disorders to the severity of the disease course is not established yet. Here, we report on the levels of protein C, protein S, antithrombin and the presence of the factor V Leiden mutation (R506Q) in 50 patients with meningococcal disease, as determined 6 to 58 months after hospital discharge. In addition, we recalled the parents of 16 deceased patients to screen for the mutation in factor V, an abnormality which results in resistance to activated protein C. Among the patients, the prevalence of the genetic risk factors for thrombosis was not higher than expected on the basis of their prevalence in the general population. Moreover, the prevalence of the factor V Leiden mutation was not increased among the parents of the deceased patients. The individual plasma levels of protein C, protein S, and antithrombin did not differ between the patients with or without severe purpura. The present data constitute circumstantial evidence that primary defects in the natural anticoagulant systems do not play a major role in the severity of the disease course. Screening of patients with infectious purpura for inherited thrombotic risk factors is therefore not indicated.


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