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Biomedical subjects

G M Patrassi

Publications and source records attributed to G M Patrassi.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Contact phase of coagulation in diabetes mellitus after aspirin administration.

The purpose of our study was to investigate the connection between platelets and the contact phase of coagulation. In 17 patients affected by diabetes mellitus we studied the behaviour of prekallikrein, factor XII and factor XI before and after aspirin administration. To evaluate the activity of aspirin we measured platelet production of thromboxane B2 using a radioimmunoassay. In our diabetic patients a hypercoagulable state was confirmed: PK, factor XII and XI levels were significantly higher as compared with normal controls. After aspirin administration a significant decrease of PK levels was found. After 7 days of aspirin administration and 7 days after stopping aspirin a modest but not significant improvement of factor XII and factor XI was observed. In conclusion, we believe that the contact phase of coagulation is another index of the hypercoagulable state in diabetes mellitus. In addition, the decrease of PK obtained by aspirin administration could support the possible connection between the contact phase of coagulation and platelets.

Aspirin↗

The contact phase of blood coagulation and renin activation in essential hypertension before and after captopril.

The contact phase of blood coagulation in a group of patients suffering from essential hypertension was studied before and after captopril administration. The baseline levels of factor XII, factor XI and plasminogen were significantly higher than in normals and correlated with baseline diastolic blood pressure levels. On the contrary, plasma prekallikrein was not significantly different from normal. These results suggest the presence of a hypercoagulable state in essential hypertension. After captopril administration, factor XII, factor XI and prekallikrein rapidly decreased, perhaps as a consequence of the drug's effect on the vascular endothelial surface. There was no correlation between the changes of active and inactive renin and the changes of prekallikrein and plasminogen levels. Our data do not support the view that factor XII-plasma kallikrein or plasmin dependent pathways are involved in the activation of inactive renin in vivo. Captopril, by provoking rapid pressure changes, appears to be able to affect the clotting system.

Adult↗

Contact phase of blood coagulation in diabetes mellitus.

The first phase of the intrinsic coagulation system was studied in twenty-six diabetic outpatients. The parameters tested were kallicrein, prekallicrein, factor XI and factor XII activities. Kallicrein and factor XI showed significantly elevated activities as compared with a normal control group (P less than 0.05 and less than 0.001, respectively). Factor XI and factor XII levels were higher in non-insulin dependent than in insulin dependent diabetics. We found that the kallicrein-prekallicrein system was activated in our diabetic patients and that such activation could probably be secondary to lesions of the vascular endothelium present in long-term diabetics. No correlation was found between glycaemia and activity levels of this system. Our data represent another demonstration of the existence of a hypercoagulable state in diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗

Regional fibrinolytic study in coronary artery disease.

In a group of coronary patients studies of fibrinolysis were carried out during cardiac bilateral catheterization. The following tests were evaluated: Euglobulin lysis time, fibrinogen, plasminogen, AT III, alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 2-macroglobulin. Fibrinolytic activity was reduced in various cardiac chambers. Plasminogen levels were elevated probably because of reduced utilization or consumption. Alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 2-macroglobulin levels were greatly reduced both in the arterial and in the venous system. From these results the fibrinolytic system may be concluded to be defective in coronary patients.

Adult↗

Kallikrein and prekallikrein levels in a large number of congenital clotting deficiencies and abnormalities.

Kallicrein (K) and prekallicrein (PK) were assayed in a large number of cases with congenitial clotting factor defects. Patients with factor XII deficiency were separated from other clotting abnormalities. The results were compared with a control group of normal subjects. We found significantly reduced PK activity levels in the factor XII deficient group. Although less evident, the reduction of PK activity in the group of other clotting defects was modest, however, not due to a factor VII defect. In our study we found that in the absence of factor XII, PK is not activated. Further studies will be necessary to show if PK activation is altered or reduced in other congenital clotting abnormalities.

Adolescent↗

Rheological and fibrinolytic findings in multiple sclerosis.

Blood viscosity indices, fibrinolytic activity and other serum proteins related to haemocoagulation have been studied in 36 patients with multiple sclerosis. The whole blood viscosity was found to be increased in multiple sclerosis. The increase was caused by a decrease in erythrocyte deformability since plasma viscosity and haematocrit were normal. Plasminogen, fibrinogen and alpha 2 antitrypsin levels were found to be lower than normal. Such alterations were not observed in a group of patients with other non-immunological neurological diseases. In the latter group some coagulation indices were even higher than normal. The higher mean age of the pathological controls could explain the observed levels. The abnormalities observed in multiple sclerosis patients are considered to be a consequence of a non-specific activation of the coagulative system in a chronic immunological disease.

Adult↗

Rheological and clotting changes in the immediate post-myocardial infarction period.

Several coagulative, fibrinolytic, and rheologic indices were studied in a large group of patients with acute myocardial infarction. The results were compared with those obtained in a normal control group. Changes of blood and plasma viscosity, fibrinogen, and fibrinolytic activity, compatible with a hypercoagulable state, were found in the immediate post-infarction period. However, elevated AT III levels as compared to control group were observed. This could be interpreted as a reactive response to the hypercoagulable state. Significant correlations could be observed between blood viscosity and Ht, plasma viscosity and fibrinogen, fibrinogen and fibrinolytic levels and between fibrinogen and ESR.

Adult↗

Short heparin thrombin clotting time, increased fibrinogen and platelet aggregates count in coronary disease: a probable hypercoagulable state.

Several indices of plasmatic and platelet coagulability (H.T.C.T., AT III, fibrinogen and Wu-Hoak test) were studied in 82 patients with acute and chronic coronary artery disease. The results were compared with those obtained in a control group. The most interesting result is the consistent shortening of H.T.C.T. as compared to the control group, particularly in patients with acute myocardial infarction. H.T.C.T. was always inversely correlated with the fibrinogen level. Those data suggest an important influence of fibrinogen levels on H.T.C.T., but this observation does not rule out the possibility that the heparin neutralizing activity (PF 4) will also influence the test. No positive correlation between H.T.C.T. and AT III could be observed. The elevated levels of AT III in acute myocardial infarction did not confirm the existence of a consumption of AT III due to chronic intravascular coagulation in these patients. The Wu-Hoak test increased only in patients with acute coronary disease, never in the other groups. In conclusion, H.T.C.T. may be assumed to be a valid test for indicating the existence of a possible hypercoagulability state.

Adult↗

Decreased thrombotic mortality and morbidity after valvular cardiac surgery as a consequence of adequate coumarin anticoagulation. A retrospective study in 516 patients.

Two almost identical groups of 258 patients each who underwent surgery for the substitution of one or more than one cardiac valve were taken into consideration. After surgery all patients, with the exception of those who received a porcine allograph, were given coumarin drugs for 1 year for thrombosis prophylaxis. In the first group of patients operated in 1972 and 1973 the laboratory follow-up and the therapeutic range were neither constant nor uniform. In the case of the second group, which included patients operated in 1974 and 1975, adequate laboratory follow-up and constantly adequate therapeutic ranges were always kept. This retrospective study has shown a statistically significant decrease in mortality due to thromboembolism and to unknown causes in the second group of patients (x2 = 8,313, "p" less than 0,0025). A decrease of the non-lethal embolic complications was also noted in the second group of patients (x2 = 6,813, "p" less than 0,0025). On the other hand, bleeding complications were greater in the second group of patients (x2 = 3,485, "p" less than 0,05) and this was interpreted as secondary to the higher anticoagulation administered to the latter patients. The results indicate that an adequate coumarin anticoagulation seems able to decrease the incidence of lethal or non-lethal thromboembolic complications after cardiac valve replacement significantly.

Adolescent↗

Normotest--thrombotest discrepancy in congenital coagulation disorders of the prothrombin complex and in coumarin-treated patients: a nonspecific phenomenon.

A Normotest (NT)-Thrombotest (TT) discrepancy is claimed to reflect the presence of coumarin-induced inhibitors or intravascular coagulation, or both. The results of this study indicate, however, that a significant NT-TT discrepancy is also present in all plasmas from patients who have congenital coagulation disorders of the prothrombin complex. None of these patients had received an anticoagulant or showed any sign of intravascular clotting; nevertheless the discrepancy observed was similar to that found in plasmas of coumarin-treated patients: average values were 0.437 and 0.450, respectively. As no inhibitor was present in the congenital coagulation disorders, except in hemophilia BM, the phenomenon does not appear to be specific for coumarin plasma. This indicates that the NT/TT discrepancy is a non-specific phenomenon that does not seem to provide any additional information about coumarin-treated patients compared with that obtainable by means of a simple prothrombin time test.

Acenocoumarol↗

A prospective study of fifty-three consecutive calcium heparin treated pregnancies in patients with antiphospholipid antibody-related fetal loss.

OBJECTIVE: In this study the efficacy and safety of calcium heparin administered alone for the prevention of fetal loss related to antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) were evaluated. METHODS: Fifty-three consecutively ascertained pregnancies were followed in 53 patients who had a history of at least 2 consecutive miscarriages during the first trimester and/or 1 fetal death during the second or third trimesters. In addition, all patients had at least 2 positive aPL tests more than 8 weeks apart before pregnancy, or a positive aPL test at the beginning of pregnancy. They were treated with calcium heparin alone, self-administered subcutaneously 3 times daily at dosages varying between 15,000 and 37,500 units. Treatment was started soon after a sonogram demonstrated a live embryo and was continued throughout pregnancy until the end of puerperium. RESULTS: All pregnancies terminated favourably between the 25th and 40th weeks (mean +/- SD: 36.69 +/- 2.91) with planned caesarean section in 27 cases and vaginal delivery in 26. Delivery was brought forward due to maternal and/or fetal complications in 18 cases (33.96%). Calcium heparin was associated with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in 2 patients with fetal problems unresponsive to anticoagulant treatment alone. The newborns, 30 females and 25 males, had a mean birth weight of 2,828.3 g +/- 706.5 and a mean Apgar score at 5 minutes of 9.60 +/- 0.68. No malformations were observed. Thirty of the 37 examined placentas (81.08%) showed signs of thrombotic events. Only minor side effects of calcium heparin were observed during treatment. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that calcium heparin administered alone using the dosages and timing described here is effective in achieving the delivery of viable infants, and that it is well tolerated.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗