scholarly journals New therapies for von Willebrand disease

Hematology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 590-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pier Mannuccio Mannucci

Abstract The management of von Willebrand disease (VWD) is based upon the dual correction of the primary hemostasis defect, due to the inherited deficiency of von Willebrand factor (VWF), and of the secondary defect of factor VIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C), due to the loss of binding and stabilization by VWF of this intrinsic coagulation factor in flowing blood. The traditional therapeutic weapons (the synthetic derivative of the antidiuretic hormone desmopressin and plasma-derived VWF/FVIII concentrates) are able to transiently correct both the defects. With the goal of tackling the primary deficiency in the disease, that is, VWF, but at the same time exploiting the normal capacity of patients to produce FVIII, the novel approach of replacing only VWF was implemented in the last 10 years. Following the manufacturing of a concentrate fractionated from human plasma and of one obtained by recombinant DNA technology, clinical studies have shown that VWF-only products correct not only the primary VWF deficiency but also the secondary FVIII:C deficiency. The demonstrated efficacy of these products in various clinical situations and, ultimately, in such a hemostasis-challenging context as surgery testifies to the effectiveness and safety of this approach. It remains to be seen whether VWF-only products are efficacious and safe in still-unexplored situations, such as use in children; the long-term use for prophylaxis; and in recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding due to angiodysplasia, a major therapeutic problem in VWD.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (21) ◽  
pp. 3481-3487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pier Mannuccio Mannucci

AbstractThe management of von Willebrand disease (VWD) is based upon the dual correction of the primary hemostasis defect, due to the inherited deficiency of von Willebrand factor (VWF), and of the secondary defect of factor VIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C), due to the loss of binding and stabilization by VWF of this intrinsic coagulation factor in flowing blood. The traditional therapeutic weapons (the synthetic derivative of the antidiuretic hormone desmopressin and plasma-derived VWF/FVIII concentrates) are able to transiently correct both the defects. With the goal of tackling the primary deficiency in the disease, that is, VWF, but at the same time exploiting the normal capacity of patients to produce FVIII, the novel approach of replacing only VWF was implemented in the last 10 years. Following the manufacturing of a concentrate fractionated from human plasma and of one obtained by recombinant DNA technology, clinical studies have shown that VWF-only products correct not only the primary VWF deficiency but also the secondary FVIII:C deficiency. The demonstrated efficacy of these products in various clinical situations and, ultimately, in such a hemostasis-challenging context as surgery testifies to the effectiveness and safety of this approach. It remains to be seen whether VWF-only products are efficacious and safe in still-unexplored situations, such as use in children; the long-term use for prophylaxis; and in recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding due to angiodysplasia, a major therapeutic problem in VWD.


Hematology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-91
Author(s):  
Kristi J. Smock ◽  
Karen A. Moser

Abstract Bleeding disorders with normal, borderline, or nondiagnostic coagulation tests represent a diagnostic challenge. Disorders of primary hemostasis can be further evaluated by additional platelet function testing modalities, platelet electron microscopy, repeat von Willebrand disease testing, and specialized von Willebrand factor testing beyond the usual initial panel. Secondary hemostasis is further evaluated by coagulation factor assays, and factor XIII assays are used to diagnose disorders of fibrin clot stabilization. Fibrinolytic disorders are particularly difficult to diagnose with current testing options. A significant number of patients remain unclassified after thorough testing; most unclassified patients have a clinically mild bleeding phenotype, and many may have undiagnosed platelet function disorders. High-throughput genetic testing using large gene panels for bleeding disorders may allow diagnosis of a larger number of these patients in the future, but more study is needed. A logical laboratory workup in the context of the clinical setting and with a high level of expertise regarding test interpretation and limitations facilitates a diagnosis for as many patients as possible.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (03) ◽  
pp. 150-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Wang ◽  
J. Eikenboom

SummaryVon Willebrand factor (VWF) is a pivotal haemostatic protein mediating platelet adhesion to injured endothelium and carrying coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) in the circulation to protect it from premature clearance. Apart from the roles in haemostasis, VWF drives the formation of the endothelial cell specific Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs), which serve as a regulated storage of VWF and other thrombotic and inflammatory factors. Defects in VWF could lead to the bleeding disorder von Willebrand disease (VWD).Extensive studies have shown that several mutations identified in VWD patients cause an intracellular retention of VWF. However, the effects of such mutations on the formation and function of its storage organelle are largely unknown. This review gives an overview on the role of VWF in WPB biogenesis and summarizes the limited data on the WPBs formed by VWD-causing mutant VWF.


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (03) ◽  
pp. 460-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco I Pareti ◽  
Marco Cattaneo ◽  
Luca Carpinelli ◽  
Maddalena L Zighetti ◽  
Caterina Bressi ◽  
...  

SummaryWe have evaluated platelet function in different subtypes of von Willebrand disease (vWD) by pushing blood through the capillarysized channels of a glass filter. Patients, including those with type IIB vWD, showed lower than normal platelet retention and increased cumulative number of blood drops passing through the filter as a function of time. In contrast, shear-induced platelet aggregation, measured in the cone-and-plate viscometer, was paradoxically increased in type IIB patients. Treatment with l-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) tended to normalize the filter test in patients with type I-platelet normal and type I-platelet low vWD, but infusion of a factor VUI/von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentrate lacking the largest vWF multimers was without effect in type 3 patients. Experiments with specific monoclonal antibodies demonstrated that the A1 and A3 domains of vWF, as well as the glycoproteins Ibα and Ilb-IIIa on platelets, are required for platelet retention in the filter. Thus, the test may reflect vWF function with regard to both platelet adhesion and aggregation under high shear stress, and provide relevant information on mechanisms involved in primary hemostasis.


2010 ◽  
Vol 104 (09) ◽  
pp. 563-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Paulinska ◽  
Petra Jilma-Stohlawetz ◽  
James Gilbert ◽  
Renta Hutabarat ◽  
Paul Knöbl ◽  
...  

SummaryDesmopressin aggravates thrombocytopenia in type 2B von Willebrand disease (VWF type 2B) by release of large and hyper-adhesive von Wille-brand Factor (VWF) multimers. This pilot study investigated whether the anti-VWF aptamer ARC1779 can prevent desmopressin-induced thrombocytopenia and interferes with the excessive VWF turnover in patients with VWF type 2B. Concentration effect curves of ARC1779 were established for five patients in vitro and two patients with VWF type 2B were treated by infusion of ARC1779, desmopressin, or their combination in a randomised, controlled, double-blind design. ARC1779 concentrations in the range of 1–3 μg/ml blocked free A1 domain binding sites by 90% in vitro. In vivo, desmopressin alone induced a profound (-90%) drop in platelet counts in one of the patients. ARC1779 (4–5 μg/ml) completely inhibited VWF A1 domains and prevented this desmopress-in-induced platelet drop. Desmopressin alone increased VWF antigen two- to three-fold, accompanied by concordant changes in VWF Ristocetin cofactor activity (RCo) and coagulation factor VIII activity. ARC1779 substantially enhanced the desmopressin-induced maximal increase in these parameters, and improved multimer patterns. No treatment related adverse events were observed and no bleeding occurred despite marked thrombocytopenia. These data provide first proof of concept in humans and evidence that ARC1779 is a potent inhibitor of VWF. ARC1779 prevented the rapid consumption of VWF multimers together with agglutinated platelets that occurred in response to desmopressin challenge in patients with VWD type 2B.Clinical Trial registration number: NCT00632242.


Author(s):  
И.В. Куртов ◽  
Е.С. Фатенкова ◽  
Н.А. Юдина ◽  
А.М. Осадчук ◽  
И.Л. Давыдкин

Болезнь Виллебранда (БВ) может представлять определенные трудности у рожениц с данной патологией. Приведены 2 клинических примера использования у женщин с БВ фактора VIII свертывания крови с фактором Виллебранда, показана эффективность и безопасность их применения. У одной пациентки было также показано использование фактора свертывания крови VIII с фактором Виллебранда во время экстракорпорального оплодотворения. Von Willebrand disease presents a certain hemostatic problem among parturients. This article shows the effectiveness and safety of using coagulation factor VIII with von Willebrand factor for the prevention of bleeding in childbirth in 2 patients with type 3 von Willebrand disease. In one patient, the use of coagulation factor VIII with von Willebrand factor during in vitro fertilization was also shown.


2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (04) ◽  
pp. 275-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Budde ◽  
R. Schneppenheim

SummaryVon Willebrand factor (VWF) is an adhesive, multi-functional huge multimerized protein with multiple domains harboring binding sites for collagen, platelet glycoprotein receptors and coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). The functional domains enable VWF to bind to the injured vessel wall, to recruit platelets to the site of injury by adhesion and aggregation and to bind and protect FVIII, an important cofactor of the coagulation cascade. VWF function in primary haemostasis is located in particular in the arterial and micro-circulation. This environment is exposed to high shear forces with hydrodynamic shear rates ranging over several orders of magnitude from 10–1 to 105 s-1 and requires particular mechanisms to enable platelet adhesion and aggregation under these variable conditions. The respective VWF function is strictly correlating with its multimer size. Lack or reduction of large VWF multimers is seen in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) type 2A which correlates with reduction of both VWF:platelet GPIb-binding and VWF:collagen binding and a bleeding phenotype. To prevent unlimited platelet adhesion and aggregation which is the cause of the microangiopathic disorder thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), VWF function is regulated by its specific protease ADAMTS13. Whereas a particular susceptibility of VWF to ADAMTS13 proteolysis is the cause of a frequent VWD type 2A phenotype, lack or dysfunction of ADAMTS13, either acquired by ADAMTS13 antibodies or by inherited ADAMTS13 deficiency (Upshaw-Schulman Syndrome), causes TTP. Therefore VWD and TTP represent the opposite manifestations of VWF related disorders, tightly linked to each other.


1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Toti ◽  
A Stierlé ◽  
M L Wiesel ◽  
A Schwartz ◽  
J M Freyssinet ◽  
...  

Von Willebrand disease (vWD) is an inherited disorder of primary hemostasis caused by deficiency or structural abnormalities of von Willebrand factor (vWF). VWF circulates in plasma and is also present in platelets. Plasma vWF, the carrier protein for factor VIII, is a large multimeric glycoprotein composed of identical subunits linked by disulfide bridges. Plasma and platelet vWF display distinct multimeric electrophoretic patterns. The different vWD subtypes can be classified either by the determination of vWFantigen (vWFíAg) and/or by multimer distribution. Antibodies to human vWF were raised in laying hens by intramuscular injections of purified human vWF. Immunoglobulins were isolated from egg yolks by selective polyethylene glycol and ammonium sulfate precipitations. These antibodies appeared to be monospecific, as they did not react with the plasma proteins of a patient with severe vWD. The pullets received weekly 50 μg vWF for 4 weeks and then had monthly injections. The antibodies occurred as early as the third injection, the yield being 300 to 500 mg of immunoglobulin per week (6-7 eggs). The titre could be constant over periods greater than 1 year. These immunoglobulins to vWF were tested in vWFíAg electroimmunoassays and for the multimer analysis of plasma and platelet vWF by electrophoresis and immunoblotting techniques. In no case could a difference be detected between assays performed with rabbit monospecific antiserum or with yolk immunoglobulins to human vWF. Ten to 12 multimers could be revealed for normal plasma vWF and up to 12 to 14 bands for normal platelet vWF (1.7% agarose). In the case of vWD, the electrophoresis patterns were identical with both antibodies. Thus, antibodies to vWF raised in laying hens are a suitable tool to detect and to characterize vWD. Although they do not interact with protein A, yolk antibodies are certainly advantageous to produce, as they do not contain IgM or IgA. Immunoglobulin fractions can contain up to 10 % of specific antibodies. Since they are available in larger quantities and are easy to isolate, larger homogeneous batches of antibodies can be obtained. This method may easily be applied to develop antibodies to a variety of antigens.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 4446-4446
Author(s):  
Gloria Chumpitaz ◽  
Fernando Cauvi ◽  
Juan Ramon Navarro ◽  
Karina Pedraza

Abstract Abstract 4446 The Hemophilia Unit of the Hematology Department of the National Hospital Edgardo Rebagliatti Martins- ESSALUD, is one of the most important Hemophilia Centers through the country, that assists patients not only in its jurisdiction but also a great amount referred from other institutions due the complexity of their treatment, like acquired inhibitor disorders as well as orthopedic and mayor cardiovascular surgeries and severe hemorrhages. The Hemophilia ESSALUD system is compounded of centers in Lima (02), Callao (01) and provinces (05) (Arequipa, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Piura and Cuzco). The range of patients with new diagnosis is about 5 to 20 patients per year. The prevalence of Hemophilia in the last 5 years, accounts 83.38% patients of the global amount with coagulation disorders. Of the 331 patients in treatment, 228 (68.8%) have Hemophilia A. Considering the classification of status severity, 12.5% patients of this group belong to mild status hemophilia, 39.47% patients to moderate status, and 41.43% to severe status. In relation to Hemophilia B, we account 48 (14.5%) patients; 5.2% corresponds to mild status, 23.68% moderate status and 52.63% severe status. The rest of the patients have other disorders of coagulation such as Von Willebrand disease and rare coagulation factor deficiency (V, VII, XI and XII). According to the age group distribution for this series, a mayor proportion of 44.68%of patients belong to the group between 16 to 35 years old. The group above 35 years accounts 30%.The age groups of 6 to 15 years old and the group of 1 to 5 year old account 16.48% and 8.51%, respectively. Finally, it is important to point out that 37.76% of our hemophiliac patients are in the group of moderate illness status and 44.14% in the group of severe illness status. All the patients receive treatment with plasma-derived coagulation factor concentrates and in some cases recombinant therapy. Children receive prophylactic treatment. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


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