Search

SummaryHeart failure is characterised by activation of haemostasis. We sought to explore the prognostic impact of deranged haemostasis in chronic heart failure. In stable, optimally managed outpatients with chronic heart failure, baseline levels of prothrombin fragment F1+2, D-dimer, and tPA and PAI-1 antigens were determined. Clinical follow-up was obtained and the rate of events (heart failure related deaths or hospitalisations) was recorded. We included 195 patients [32.3% female, NYHA class II (66.2%) or III (33.8%), mean age 71 years]. During a median follow up of 693 (interquartile range [IQR] 574–788) days, 63 (30.9%) patients experienced an event; those with an event had higher levels of tPA antigen (median 11.8 [IQR 8.7–14.0] vs. 9.4 [7.9–12.1] µg/l; p=0.033) and D-dimer (938 [485–1269] vs. 620 [37–1076] µg/l; p=0.018). However, on Cox multivariate analysis, only tPA levels above optimal cut-off value of 10.2 µg/l (but not D-dimer) emerged as an independent predictor of prognosis (HRadjusted 2.695, 95% confidence interval 1.233–5.363; p=0.017). Our findings suggest that elevated tPA antigen levels are an independent prognostic predictor in patients with chronic stable heart failure.

SummaryThe aim of this prospective study was to investigate for the first time whether levothyroxine and selenomethionine, administered alone or in combination, affect coagulation and fibrinolysis in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients with normal thyroid function tests. A group of 155 ambulatory women with recently diagnosed and previously untreated Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, of whom 149 completed the study, were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to six months of treatment with levothyroxine, selenomethionine, levothyroxine plus selenomethionine, or placebo. The control group included 39 matched healthy women. The prothrombin time ratio, the activated partial thromboplastin time, and plasma levels/activities of fibrinogen, factor VII, von Willebrand factor, factor X and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were assessed at baseline and after three and six months of treatment. Compared with the healthy subjects, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients exhibited higher plasma levels/activities of all of the parameters studied, as well as were characterised by the abnormal prothrombin time ratio and activated partial thromboplastin time. All these haemostatic disturbances were reduced or normalised by levothyroxine + selenomethionine treatment, while the effect of levothyroxine or selenomethionine was limited to fibrinogen and PAI-1, respectively. Our results demonstrate that euthyroid women with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are characterised by abnormal coagulation and fibrinolysis. Levothyroxine and selenomethionine, especially if administered together, produce a beneficial effect on haemostasis in euthyroid patients with this disorder.Note: This study was in part a sub-study of another trial (ACTRN 12611000238976), which assessed the effect of levothyroxine and selenomethionine, administered alone or in combination, on monocyte and lymphocyte cytokine release in Hashimoto“s thyroiditis patients. Trial no.: ACTRN12612000271808.

SummaryBleeding times are reported in many studies using canine models, with a variety of techniques employed to adapt these tests for dogs. We evaluated a canine model of template bleeding time, the buccal mucosa bleeding time (BMBT), by examining the test’s sensitivity and specificity for defects of primary hemostasis. We examined thirty-five dogs having defined defects of either primary hemostasis (Types I, II, III von Willebrand’s disease, thrombasthenia, thrombopathia) or secondary hemostasis (hemophilia A and B, Factor VII deficiency). Comparisons of BMBT and cuticle bleeding time were made in a subset of these dogs.All dogs having primary hemostatic disorders had long BMBT, and all factor deficient dogs had BMBT within normal range. The BMBT in canine models appears to be a specific and sensitive test of primary hemostasis; suitable for evaluating factors affecting template bleeding time and potential efficacy and thrombogenicity of treatment regimens.

SummaryLeft ventricular thrombosis and systemic emboli have been demonstrated to complicate cardiomyopathy in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD, BMD). We investigated plasma levels of pro-thrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2), thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a pro-coagulant cytokine that has been shown to be elevated in patients with depressed cardiac function, in 20 patients with DMD and 12 patients with BMD as compared with 30 age-matched control subjects. Significantly elevated levels of F1+2 (DMD: 1.4 ± 0.8 nmol/l; BMD: 1.8 ± 0.8 nmol/l vs. controls: 0.7 ± 0.2 nmol/l, p

Correspondence to: Prof. Frederick Ofosu, PhD Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine McMaster University 1200 Main St W, HSC 3N26 Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 3Z5, Canada Tel.: +1 905525914

Since patients with myeloproliferative disorders may have bleeding tendencies, the surgeon, in particular, is anxious for an hemostatic evaluation if splenectomy is contemplated. It is known that platelet aggregation, particularly with epinephrine, tends to be reduced in these patients. The nucleotide content of their platelets may be deficient. Furthermore, megakaryocytic fine structure is often abnormal. We have studied, In detail, 9 patients with hemostatic disorders. Diagnoses included polycythemia vera, agnogenic myeloid metaplasia, evolving myeloproliferative disease and erythroleukemia. Ages ranged from 36 to 75 years. Bleeding tendencies, including bruising, operative or postoperative bleeding, melena, hematuria, and hemarthrosis, characterized 8 of the 9 patients; the one exception had normal platelet ADP and elevated ATP. All had abnormal platelet aggregation, but the extent of the abnormality could not be related to the ADP and ATP contents of the platelet.ADP (normal 26.7 ± 6.5 nmol/109 platelets) was reduced in 7. ATP (normal 38.6 ± 7.6 nmol/109 platelets) was reduced in 1, elevated in 2 and normal in the other 6. In no patient were both values normal. Nucleotide release induced by collagen activation was measured in 6 of the patients. In all 6 it was deficient whether platelet ADP were normal (1 case) or depressed (5) and whether platelet ADP were elevated (1) or decreased (3).