scholarly journals Continuous-infusion von Willebrand factor concentrate is effective for the management of acquired von Willebrand disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (14) ◽  
pp. 2813-2816
Author(s):  
Kathryn E. Dane ◽  
John P. Lindsley ◽  
Thomas Kickler ◽  
Michael B. Streiff ◽  
Alison Moliterno ◽  
...  

Abstract Acquired von Willebrand disease (aVWD) is a rare disorder associated with a reduction in von Willebrand factor (VWF) activity, leading to increased bleeding risk. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is the most common cause of lymphoproliferative disorder-associated aVWD and is caused by accelerated clearance of circulating VWF. Standard VWF replacement protocols for congenital VWD based on intermittent bolus dosing are typically less effective for aVWD because of antibody-mediated clearance. Intermittent bolus dosing of VWF concentrates often leads to inadequate peak response and profoundly shortened VWF half-life in aVWD. Intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) has demonstrated efficacy in aVWD; however, treatment effect is delayed up to 4 days, limiting its efficacy in acutely bleeding patients. We report the successful use of continuous-infusion VWF concentrate (with or without concomitant IVIG) in 3 patients with MGUS-associated aVWD who had demonstrated an inadequate response to bolus dosing. VWF concentrate doses required in this cohort were higher than typical doses for bleeding treatment in congenital VWD. This report illustrates that continuous-infusion VWF concentrate administration with or without intravenous immunoglobulin rapidly achieves target ristocetin cofactor activity and provides adequate hemostasis in aVWD associated with immunoglobulin G MGUS.

1999 ◽  
Vol 81 (02) ◽  
pp. 229-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aharon Lubetsky ◽  
Sam Schulman ◽  
David Varon ◽  
Uri Martinowitz ◽  
Gili Kenet ◽  
...  

SummaryWe studied the safety and efficacy of treatment with continuous infusion of a von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentrate Haemate-P in patients with von Willebrand disease (vWD). Three patients with mild and 5 patients with severe forms of vWD, were treated with continuous infusion of Haemate-P by minipump. The indications for treatment were: to prevent bleeding during 9 surgical procedures or 1 vaginal delivery in 6 patients and to treat 2 bleeding episodes in 2 patients. The patients were monitored daily for factor VIII (FVIII:C) and ristocetin cofactor (vWF:RCo) levels and the infusion rate was adjusted to maintain the desired therapeutic level of vWF:RCo. The treatment was effective in preventing surgical bleeding and controlling bleeding episodes. All factor VIII:C and most of the vWF:RCo levels measured during the study period were above the target therapeutic levels. A significant decrease in clearance of FVIII:C and vWF:RCo was observed over the treatment period. Haemate-P consumption averaged 24.3 ± 7.9 vWF:RCo U/kg/day which is approximately half the expected dose had intermittent bolus injections been used. We suggest that continuous Haemate-P infusion is superior to intermittent bolus injections for the treatment of vWD patients by virtue of its efficiency, simplicity and considerable savings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (02) ◽  
pp. 192-200
Author(s):  
James S. O'Donnell

AbstractThe biological mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 and type 3 von Willebrand disease (VWD) have been studied extensively. In contrast, although accounting for the majority of VWD cases, the pathobiology underlying partial quantitative VWD has remained somewhat elusive. However, important insights have been attained following several recent cohort studies that have investigated mechanisms in patients with type 1 VWD and low von Willebrand factor (VWF), respectively. These studies have demonstrated that reduced plasma VWF levels may result from either (1) decreased VWF biosynthesis and/or secretion in endothelial cells and (2) pathological increased VWF clearance. In addition, it has become clear that some patients with only mild to moderate reductions in plasma VWF levels in the 30 to 50 IU/dL range may have significant bleeding phenotypes. Importantly in these low VWF patients, bleeding risk fails to correlate with plasma VWF levels and inheritance is typically independent of the VWF gene. Although plasma VWF levels may increase to > 50 IU/dL with progressive aging or pregnancy in these subjects, emerging data suggest that this apparent normalization in VWF levels does not necessarily equate to a complete correction in bleeding phenotype in patients with partial quantitative VWD. In this review, these recent advances in our understanding of quantitative VWD pathogenesis are discussed. Furthermore, the translational implications of these emerging findings are considered, particularly with respect to designing personalized treatment plans for VWD patients undergoing elective procedures.


Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 84 (10) ◽  
pp. 3378-3384 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ van Genderen ◽  
T Vink ◽  
JJ Michiels ◽  
MB van 't Veer ◽  
JJ Sixma ◽  
...  

Abstract An 82-year-old man with a low-grade malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma and an IgG3 lambda monoclonal gammopathy presented a recently acquired bleeding tendency, characterized by recurrent epistaxis, easy bruising, and episodes of melena, requiring packed red blood cell transfusions. Coagulation studies showed a von Willebrand factor (vWF) defect (Ivy bleeding time, > 15 minutes; vWF antigen [vWF:Ag], 0.08 U/mL; ristocetin cofactor activity [vWF:RCoF], < 0.05 U/mL; collagen binding activity [vWF:CBA], 0.01 U/mL; absence of the high molecular weight multimers of vWF on multimeric analysis). Mixing experiments suggested the presence of an inhibitor directed against the vWF:CBA activity of vWF without significantly inhibiting the FVIII:C, vWF:Ag, and vWF:RCoF activities. The inhibitor was identified as an antibody of the IgM class by immunoabsorption of vWF and inhibitor-vWF complexes from the plasma of the patient. Subsequent immunoprecipitation experiments using recombinant fragments of vWF showed that the inhibitor reacted with both the glycoprotein Ib binding domain (amino acids [aa] 422–826) and the A3 (aa 909–1112) domain of vWF, but not with the A2 (aa 716–908) or D4 (aa 1183–1535) domains. We conclude that the IgM autoantibody inhibits the vWF:CBA activity by reacting with an epitope present on both the glycoprotein Ib and A3 domains of vWF.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 192-194
Author(s):  
Patrick Harrington ◽  
Pippa Kyle ◽  
Jacky Cutler ◽  
Bella Madan

We present the obstetric history of a family of three sisters with Von Willebrand disease, managed in our centre over the course of nine successful pregnancies. The abnormalities result from inheritance of an exon 50 skipping mutation in the Von Willebrand factor gene, resulting from consanguinity. Two of the sisters were identified as having a severe phenotype with a Von Willebrand factor level of less than 5 IU/dl, with the other having a mild phenotype. Of the sisters with a severe phenotype, one had a number of prenatal complications and required early onset prophylaxis with Von Willebrand factor concentrate, whilst the other had a less complicated clinical course, only requiring Von Willebrand factor concentrate to cover labour. The sister with mild Von Willebrand disease had a rise in Von Willebrand factor levels during pregnancy and required no specialist treatment. The report highlights the markedly different clinical courses that can occur in patients with Von Willebrand disease and the different approaches to management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. e241613
Author(s):  
Vaishnavi Divya Nagarajan ◽  
Asha Shenoi ◽  
Lucy Burgess ◽  
Vlad C Radulescu

An 18-year-old man with a history of type 3 von Willebrand disease (VWD) presented with a spontaneous pyohaemothorax. Type 3 VWD may present with both mucocutaneous and deep-seated bleeds, such as visceral haemorrhages, intracranial bleeds and haemarthrosis. There have been very few cases described in children of spontaneous pyohaemothorax. Management of this patient was challenging due to risks of bleeding following surgical drainage, requiring constant replacement with von Willebrand factor concentrate, while monitoring factor VIII levels to balance the risks of thrombosis.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document