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Biomedical subjects

A K Ohlin

Publications and source records attributed to A K Ohlin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Thrombomodulin gene defects in families with thromboembolic disease--a report on four families.

It has been suggested that an impaired thrombomodulin (TM) function could constitute an abnormality leading to thromboembolic disease (TED). The TM gene from 51 unrelated American patients with TED and 100 American blood donors was screened for mutations. Four heterozygous point mutations in the TM gene were detected. The mutations are distributed throughout the TM gene and predict amino acid changes 1) Pro483 to Leu, 2) Gly61 to Ala, 3) Asp468 to Tyr (earlier described) and 4) a silent mutation not predicting any amino acid change at Glu163. Family studies reveal that the occurrence of the different TM mutations is associated with a history of TED, but there are indications of multiple risk factors and no perfect co-segregation of the TM defects and TED. Among the controls. three individuals carried heterozygous TM variants predicting either a Pro477-Ser mutation (two cases) or an Asp468-Tyr mutation. Our results thus demonstrate that a previously undocumented abnormality in the protein C anticoagulant pathway, a defect in the TM gene, to a certain extent co-segregates with familial thrombophilia. Further studies are needed to prove the causality of these TM mutations.

Adolescent↗

Effect of intravenous nitroglycerin on lipid peroxidation after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction.

Free oxygen radicals are produced after coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are oxidized by free radicals to lipid peroxides. Measurements of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) formed by the breakdown of lipid peroxides are often used as markers of lipid peroxidation. The effect of intravenous nitroglycerin on plasma MDA levels was studied in 43 patients who received thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction. Plasma MDA levels in patients were elevated on admission to the hospital compared with healthy controls, and normalized within 48 hours. A greater increase in plasma MDA concentrations after thrombolysis was found in patients with noninvasive signs of reperfusion than in patients judged to have a persistent occlusion. In the 23 patients receiving immediate intravenous nitroglycerin infusion, plasma MDA levels did not change from baseline to 90 minutes (0.92+/-0.22 and 0.92+/-0.23 micromol/L, p=0.99), whereas a significant increase was found in the 20 control patients who did not receive nitroglycerin (from 0.83+/-0.22 to 1.01+/-0.30 micromol/L, p=0.0004) (p=0.036 for the difference between groups). Successful reperfusion after thrombolytic therapy entails increased lipid peroxidation. Intravenous nitroglycerin reduces lipid peroxidation during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion.

Aged↗

A 50-year perspective of a family with chromosome-14-linked Alzheimer's disease.

A Swedish family with two generations suffering from presenile dementia with an unusually severe Alzheimer encephalopathy was first reported in 1946. The hypothesis that the disease was inherited through a dominant gene is strongly supported by the follow-up 50 years later of three additional generations and molecular genetic findings of a novel presenilin-1 gene mutation in the family. The pedigree contains six cases with well-documented dementia in four consecutive generations. The Alzheimer encephalopathy was unusually severe in the three cases studied post-mortem, with a pronounced involvement of the central grey structures, such as the claustrum, the nuclei around the third ventricle, the central thalamic nuclei and the brain stem. There were no vascular lesions and little amyloid angiopathy. All six affected cases showed the typical temporoparietal symptom pattern and other core symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as logoclonia, myoclonic twitchings and major motor seizures. Other predominant features were psychomotor slowness, increased muscular tension, a stiff stooped gait and a rapid loss of weight. The symptom pattern is convincingly explained by the consistent and severe involvement of cortical and central grey structures and is probably linked to the presenilin-1 gene mutation.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Association of vitamin K-dependent coagulation proteins and C4b binding protein with triglyceride-rich lipoproteins of human plasma.

The triglyceride (TG) concentration in plasma is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. There is evidence that TG-rich lipoprotein (TGRLP), ie, chylomicrons (CMs), chylomicron remnants (CMRs), and VLDLs associate with factor VII and prothrombin and that the association enhances a platelet factor Xa-mediated prothrombin activation when the CM-prothrombin complex is exposed to platelets. In this study, we examined the association of the vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors VII, IX, X, and prothrombin, as well as the anticoagulation protein C and its cofactor protein S, in plasma lipoproteins obtained from human fasting and postprandial plasma. We also analyzed some other proteins that are related to the coagulation system but not to vitamin K-dependent proteins, including factor V, serum amyloid P component (SAP), C4b binding protein (C4BP), and thrombomodulin (TM), and as a control, Ig G. Human TGRLP (d < 1.006 kg/L), LDL (d = 1.006 to 1.063 kg/L), and HDL (d = 1.063 to 1.210 kg/L) were separated from normal subjects both in fasting and 2 to 3 hours after the ingestion of a meal containing 100 g fat. The different coagulation proteins, SAP, C4BP, TM, and Ig G were determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis combined with Western blotting, using specific polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies, and were visualized by peroxidase staining. All the vitamin K-dependent proteins associate with TGRLP in both fasting and postprandial plasma, but not with LDL or HDL. Factor V, SAP, TM, and Ig G were not found in any lipoprotein classes. C4BP, which is a regulatory protein of the classic pathway of the complement system and which binds protein S in vivo to regulate blood coagulation, was present in TGRLP, especially postprandial, but not in LDL or HDL. The amounts of prothrombin, protein S, and C4BP in postprandial TGRLP were larger than those in fasting TGRLP. Vitamin K-dependent procoagulation and anticoagulation proteins, as well as C4BP, could be associated with TGRLP in vivo. If the association enhances prothrombin activation, this effect may thus be counteracted by simultaneous binding of protein S.

Adult↗

A common thrombomodulin amino acid dimorphism is associated with myocardial infarction.

Endothelial dysfunction and haemostatic imbalance are believed to be important aetiological factors in the development of acute coronary syndromes. Thrombomodulin (TM) is an integral membrane protein crucial for normal endothelial function and activation of the protein C anticoagulant pathway. We have investigated the importance of a common C/T dimorphism in the TM gene (nucleotide 1418) for development of premature myocardial infarction (MI). The C/T dimorphism predicts an Ala455 to Val replacement in the sixth EGF-like domain of TM. The dimorphism was investigated in 97 MI survivors and 159 healthy controls. The C allele was significantly more frequent among patients than controls (p = 0.035). The allele frequency for the C allele was 0.82 in the patients and 0.72 in the control group. The plasma concentration of TM was investigated among healthy controls but was not related to the C/T dimorphism. In conclusion, the association of the C allele with premature MI, suggests that the TM gene and the C/T dimorphism may be aetiological factors involved in the pathogenesis of MI. Possibly, the Ala455 to Val replacement may affect the function of the TM molecule and the activation of the protein C anticoagulant pathway.

Adult↗

Thrombomodulin gene variations and thromboembolic disease.

Thrombomodulin (TM) is the endothelial cell cofactor for protein C activation. Since deficiencies of other protein C system proteins are known to cause thrombotic disease, then defects in the gene coding for TM could be responsible for inherited thrombophilia. We have searched for mutations in the TM gene among healthy controls as well as patients with thrombophilia and identified eight patients heterozygous for TM mutations that are distributed throughout the TM gene. We have shown that the respective TM mutation co-segregates with thromboembolic disease (TED) in four families. Moreover, we have demonstrated that the C allele in a common C/T dimorphism in the TM gene is significantly more frequent among survivors of premature myocardial infarction (MI) than in matched controls. We suggest that TM defects should be added to the list of risk factors in TED, and after further evaluation possibly be included in a routine laboratory evaluation of thrombophilia.

Genetic Predisposition to Disease↗

A novel thrombomodulin gene mutation in a patient suffering from sagittal sinus thrombosis.

Thrombomodulin is an endothelial cell membrane glycoprotein that promotes protein C activation. It has been clearly demonstrated that the anticoagulant functions of the protein C system are important in the prevention of thromboembolic disease. Patients with protein C or protein S deficiency and/or resistance to activated protein C (APC resistance) are at higher risk for developing thromboembolic disease. The first mutation in the thrombomodulin gene was discovered in an American patient suffering from pulmonary embolism at the age of 45 (Ohlin and Marlar 1995). Here we report a case of sagittal sinus thrombosis in a 42-year-old Swedish woman. She was found to carry a heterozygous point mutation changing G127 to A, predicting an Ala25 to a Thr change in the mature thrombomodulin protein. This mutation was also found in her 16-year-old daughter, who so far has not suffered from any thrombotic events. The patient had no other detectable prothrombotic genetic defects associated with the coagulation system. This case supports the hypothesis of an association between mutations in the thrombomodulin gene and venous thrombosis.

Adolescent↗

Soluble thrombomodulin antigen in plasma is increased in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with thrombolytic therapy.

Thrombomodulin (TM) is an integral endothelial cell membrane protein that functions as a cofactor for thrombin mediated activation of protein C. The anticoagulant functions of the protein C system are important in contributing to a hemostatic balance and prevention of thromboembolic disease. It has been suggested that impaired TM cofactor function could also constitute a prothrombotic abnormality leading to thromboembolic diseases. TM exists not only on the surface of endothelial cells but also as soluble fragment(s) circulating in plasma. The concept of a thrombotic occlusion as the critical event in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) forms the rationale for thrombolytic therapy. After successful reperfusion, patients remain at substantial risk for recurrent infarctions due to rethrombosis. The balance between procoagulant and anticoagulant mechanisms in the postthrombolytic phase have not been studied in detail. We have studied whether the plasma levels of soluble TM are influenced by thrombolytic therapy with streptokinase in patients suffering from AMI. Soluble TM concentrations increased significantly by 24 to 48 h after thrombolytic treatment, simultaneously with an increase in C-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of the inflammatory component of the cell damage) and in thio-barbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS, an indirect marker of lipid peroxidation).

Acute Disease↗

Catabolism of prothrombin-chylomicron complexes in vivo in the rat.

The metabolism in vivo in the rat of 125I-prothrombin-chylomicron complexes was compared to that of free 125I-prothrombin injected in saline or together with chyle chylomicrons. The group that obtained 125I-prothrombin-chylomicron complexes exhibited a faster initial decrease of plasma 125I-prothrombin, a higher radioactivity in the liver and more trichloroacetic acid soluble 125I in plasma than in the other groups that did not differ. In the group injected with 125I-prothrombin-chylomicron complexes, 4% was in the HDL, 0.7% LDL, and 0.8% in VLDL 2 hours after injection. The data thus indicate that although most of the 125I-prothrombin is released during the metabolism of the prothrombin-chylomicron complexes, some is rapidly degraded and some is transferred to plasma lipoproteins and remains circulating for a considerable time period. The observations demonstrate that binding to chylomicrons influences the catabolism of prothrombin in vivo. Since chylomicrons did not influence the clearance of simultaneously injected free 125I-prothrombin, the prothrombin binding to chylomicrons or chylomicron remnants in vivo may, however, be too slow to influence the prothrombin catabolism under normal conditions.

Animals↗

Binding of prothrombin to chyle chylomicrons: effects of temperature and calcium ions, and role of surface phospholipids.

The ability of chyle chylomicrons to bind prothrombin has been studied. Rat chyle chylomicrons were incubated with human 125I-prothrombin and binding was examined by separating the chylomicrons from free 125-I-prothrombin by density-gradient ultracentrifugation, and by gel filtration on Sepharose CL-2B. A significant binding of prothrombin to chyle chylomicrons occurred. The complex formation was calcium dependent, and decreased markedly when the temperature was lowered from 37 degrees C to 20 degrees C and when PH was raised above 8. The time course for the binding at 37 degrees C in presence of 2 mmol/L CaCl2 exhibited an initial lag phase at about 10 minutes. Thereafter most of the binding occurred within 30 minutes. Bound prothrombin could not be removed from chyle chylomicrons by treatment with EDTA, suggesting that this binding is not a simple Ca2+ dependent association between prothrombin and chyle chylomicrons. Inclusion of 1% purified human serum albumin caused a 50% decrease in binding, half of which was reversed by increasing the Ca2+ ion concentration. Addition of pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in doses sufficient to hydrolyze more than 95% of the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and 37% of the phosphatidylcholine (PC) decreased the binding by 50%. Doses of PLA2 that hydrolyze more than 95% of the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and 37% of the phosphatidylcholine (PC) decreased the binding by 50%. Doses of PLA2 that hydrolyzed 60-80% of (PE and 4-10% of the PC decreased the binding by only 7-15%. It is suggested that the binding of prothrombin to chyle chylomicrons is in part mediated by negatively charged phospholipids of the chylomicron surface, although a specific role of the PE could not be demonstrated.

Animals↗

Role of platelet factor Xa in chylomicron-prothrombin complexes induced platelet activation.

The effects of chylomicron-prothrombin complexes on platelet activation, including platelet aggregation, serotonin release, arachidonic acid release and increases of platelet cytosolic [Ca2+]i were examined. Furthermore the role of platelet factor Xa on the conversion of chylomicron bound prothrombin to thrombin was studied by using a synthetic inhibitor of factor Xa, TenStop. The chylomicron-prothrombin complexes could induce platelet aggregation and enhance the platelet serotonin release and arachidonic acid release in contrast to native chyle chylomicrons. An increase of platelet [Ca2+]i was observed during incubation with chylomicron-prothrombin complexes. TenStop inhibited platelet aggregation and serotonin release that were induced by chylomicron-prothrombin complexes in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the TenStop itself did not inhibit the platelet aggregation induced by thrombin and collagen. It is concluded that platelet activation induced by chylomicron-prothrombin complexes is related to the platelet factor Xa that could be the key factor in the conversion of chylomicron bound prothrombin to thrombin.

Animals↗

The first mutation identified in the thrombomodulin gene in a 45-year-old man presenting with thromboembolic disease.

Thrombomodulin (TM) is the anticoagulant endothelial cell membrane-bound protein cofactor in the thrombin-mediated activation of protein C (PC). It has been clearly demonstrated that the anticoagulant and profibrinolytic functions of the PC system are important for the prevention of a thromboembolic disease. Patients with PC, protein S, or PC "'cofactor"' deficiency and/or dysfunction develop thromboembolic diseases. However, the molecular abnormality in at least 20% to 30% of thrombophilic patients cannot be identified by hitherto recognized defects. A putative pathologic lesion in the TM gene could be one of several candidates for these prothrombotic mutations. A directed search strategy for deletions, insertions, or point mutations in the TM gene has not been performed. Therefore, in the present study, we have analyzed the entire TM gene, including the promoter region, by polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) in normal healthy volunteers and in patients presenting with a thromboembolic disease. We have identified a patient with a thromboembolic disease and a TM point mutation. In a 45-year-old Hispanic man with a documented pulmonary embolism, PCR-SSCP showed an aberrant band pattern and subsequent DNA sequence analysis showed a heterozygous substitution for G1456 to T. This substitution predicts an Asp468 to a Tyr change in the amino acid sequence that is located between the transmembrane domain and the sixth epidermal growth factor-like domain. The Asp468 to Tyr change would probably lead to significant structural changes not allowing the expression of the TM protein or to a conformational change that is not functional.

Adult↗

Transient release of lipid peroxidation products as a non-invasive marker of successful reperfusion after thrombolysis for myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate an increase in plasma concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances as a non-invasive biochemical test of reperfusion after thrombolysis and to investigate the relation between the inflammatory response after acute myocardial infarction and the production of the substances. METHODS: Venous samples were taken from 19 patients receiving thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction before the start of therapy and every hour afterwards up to 5 hours and then at 24 and 48 hours and the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances measured. These substances are markers of lipid peroxidation induced by free oxygen radicals. Early reperfusion was judged by regression of ST elevation and late coronary artery patency from the results of coronary angiography 24-72 hours after thrombolysis. RESULTS: The concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances increased in only 6 out of 14 patients with signs of early reperfusion. In patients with late coronary artery patency the corresponding number was 6 out of 15. However, a significant increase in the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was found for the whole group 24 and 48 hours after treatment. The change in concentration in serum correlated significantly with that of C reactive protein--an acute phase reactant (r = 0.62, P < 0.01)--but not to the serum activities of markers of infarct size such as creatine kinase B and lactate dehydrogenase. CONCLUSIONS: The fluorimetric assay used in this study to measure the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances seems to be an insensitive method of detecting reperfusion after thrombolysis for myocardial infarction. The increase in concentrations found 24 and 48 hours after treatment correlated with C reactive protein concentrations but not with those of markers of infarct size.

Adult↗

Chylomicron-induced prothrombin activation and platelet aggregation.

The effects on platelet aggregation of native rat chyle chylomicrons, chylomicron remnants, and chylomicrons that had been preincubated with rat or human EDTA-plasma, serum, whole blood, or pure human prothrombin were examined. The native chyle chylomicrons did not induce platelet aggregation but decreased ADP- and thrombin-induced platelet aggregation and [14C]serotonin release. Chylomicron remnants also failed to induce platelet aggregation, but they potentiated the aggregation and the [14C]serotonin release induced by ADP and thrombin. Aggregation, after a lag phase of 15 to 20 minutes, was seen when platelets were incubated with chylomicrons that had been preincubated with plasma and then isolated as the top layer after a single centrifugation at d = 1.006. This aggregation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by an antiserum against prothrombin that also inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. After washing by centrifugation the plasma-preincubated chylomicrons did not induce platelet aggregation, but this effect could be restored by adding a small amount of prothrombin, which did not cause aggregation when added alone or together with native chyle chylomicrons. Addition of 2% (vol/vol) plasma, however, induced aggregation when added together with either native chyle chylomicrons or washed preincubated chylomicrons, but not when added alone. Binding of 125I-labeled prothrombin to native chyle chylomicrons was demonstrated by gradient ultracentrifugation. During incubation of washed plasma-preincubated chylomicrons with 125I-prothrombin and platelets, a significant conversion of 125I-prothrombin to 125I-prethrombin and 125I-thrombin occurred, as demonstrated by autoradiography after separation on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The interaction between chylomicrons and prothrombin, and possibly other coagulation proteins, thus enhances prothrombin activation in the presence of platelets.

Animals↗