Endothelial Function in Patients with Severe and Moderate Haemophilia A and B.

The life expectancy of patients with haemophilia has increased and therefore the interest in age-related comorbidities has grown. The aim of this study was to determine whether haemophilia patients have a different endothelial function compared with the general population. A total of 26 patients with severe or moderate haemophilia A or B, 14 controls and 36 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) were included in this study. Five markers of endothelial dysfunction (MOEDs) were determined. Moreover, the endothelial function was examined using the Itamar Endo-PAT, and the reactive hyperemia index (RHI) was calculated from the results. The MOEDs soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 ( p  = 0.0095) and interleukin-6 ( p  = 0.010) were significantly higher for patients with haemophilia compared with the control group. The presence of increased adhesion molecule levels and low-grade inflammation is suggestive of a decreased endothelial function. RHI is impaired in CAD patients (1.862), whereas haemophilia patients have an RHI of 1.958 in comparison with 2.112 in controls ( p  = 0.127). Therefore, laboratory and functional measurements imply a possible higher risk for CAD in haemophilia patients.
Competing Interests: This work was supported by a grant from Baxalta/Shire.W. M. has received grants and personal fees for lectures and consultancy from Bayer, Biogen Idec, Biotest, CSL Behring, LFB, Novo Nordisk, Octapharma, Pfizer, Roche, Shire, Sobi and UniQure.S. A. has received grants and personal fees for lectures and consultancy from Bayer, Amgen, CSL Behring, LFB, Octapharma, Pfizer and Böhringer Ingelheim, Shire.S. B., R. S. and S. F. stated that they had no interests which might be perceived as posing a conflict or bias.
(Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)