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Biomedical subjects

L Ellman

Publications and source records attributed to L Ellman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Plasma heparin neutralizing activity. Its use in the evaluation of thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis.

Platelets contain heparin neutralizing activity, which is released into plasma following aggregation. This material is probably identical to platelet factor 4. We describe a technic to measure heparin neutralizing activity in platelet-poor plasma based on the serial heparin dilution technic of Harada and Zucker. Heparin neutralizing activity was depressed in thrombocytopenia due to immune thrombocytopenia and bone marrow depression, and elevated in thrombocytopenia due to disseminated intravascular coagulation. Secondary thrombocytosis is characterized by markedly elevated heparin neutralizing activity, while thrombocytosis associated with myeloproliferative disorders has normal heparin neutralizing activity.

Blood Coagulation Factors

Activation of the coagulation system in polycythemia vera.

Thrombosis is one of the major complications of polycythemia vera. Seventeen patients with polycythemia vera in good hematologic control were evaluated for abnormalities of the coagulation system. Activation of the intrinsic coagulation cascade was suggested by low levels of factor XII, prekallikrein, and kallikrein inhibitors in 12 of 17 patients. The group also demonstrated a significant increase in soluble fibrin complexes using plasma gel filtration on 4% agarose. Fibrin degradation products were normal and antithrombin III levels were slightly elevated. It appears that patients with polycythemia vera have chronic activation of the coagulation system, probably initiated by activation of factor XII. No correlation between the degree of coagulation abnormalities and thromboembolic complications was evident in this group of patients.

Antithrombins

Lymphoma presenting as bone marrow failure.

In reviewing 550 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, only 3 percent were found to present with severe leukopenia or thrombocytopenia due to bone marrow infiltration. Patients with well-differentiated lymphoma had a favorable prognosis despite the presence of cytopenia. In contrast, individuals with poorly differentiated lymphoma had a median survival of only 4 months. Thus, the critical factor in survival was the degree of differentiation of the lymphoma. Conventional therapy proved of little value in the poorly differentiated group. Trials of intensive multidrug chemotherapeutic regimens seem warranted, despite the risk of exacerbating the cytopenia.

Bone Marrow Examination