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Unstable coronary artery disease (UCAD) is associated with an increased risk of further coronary events. In the FRISC study, the risk was decreased during treatment with a high, twice-daily, dose of dalteparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin. However, lowering the dose resulted in raised risk of recurrences. To investigate the underlying pathophysiology, the thrombin generation and activity in patients with UCAD randomized to a 6-week placebo-controlled treatment with dalteparin were evaluated. Plasma prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2) (n = 342), thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) (n = 186) and soluble fibrin (SF) (n = 298) were analyzed before and during treatment with dalteparin/placebo administered subcutaneously, 120 IU/kg bw twice daily for 5-8 days and 7.500 IU once daily the following 35-40 days. High-dose treatment with dalteparin resulted in significantly reduced levels of all coagulation markers, demonstrating diminished thrombin generation and activity. When reducing the dalteparin dose, plasma TAT and SF remained low, indicating minimal fibrin formation. However, F1+2 increased during this period. though the level at day 45 was still lower than in the placebo group. In the placebo group elevated thrombin generation and activity persisted during the entire period. In conclusion, high-dose treatment with dalteparin twice daily resulted in significantly reduced thrombin generation and activity. However, after changing to a lower, once-daily dose, the treatment was not sufficient in preventing a return to a procoagulable state. These changes of the coagulation activity might explain the changes in event rate observed during dalteparin treatment.

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Resistance to activated protein C (APC resistance) is the single most important hemostatic defect associated with venous thromboembolic disease. However, little is. Known about this defect in arterial disease. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the frequency and prognostic importance of APC resistance and its influence on the coagulation system in one type of arterial thrombosis. In this study, 323 patients admitted to hospital because of unstable coronary artery disease, that is, unstable angina pectoris or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction, were investigated and compared with a reference group of apparently healthy individuals. The patients participated in a prospective, multicenter, randomized, and placebo-controlled investigation evaluating the protective value of low molecular weight heparin (dalteparin) in unstable coronary artery disease. The APC ratio was assayed using a modified activated partial thromboplastin time reaction method to measure the response to activated protein C. APC resistance was defined as an APC ratio

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OBJECTIVES: Cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with extensive thrombin generation and cell activation. Our main hypothesis in this study was that the expression of tissue factor on circulating monocytes contributes to the formation of thrombin. METHODS: Markers of activation of the coagulation cascade and cell activation were measured in 26 patients undergoing elective heart operations randomized to the use of heparin-coated (Duraflo II, n = 13) or standard cardiopulmonary bypass circuits (n = 13). RESULTS: Thrombin generation, measured as the thrombin-antithrombin complex, increased considerably during cardiopulmonary bypass with peak levels 3 hours afterward and with remaining elevation 20 hours later. Despite increased monocyte and granulocyte activation and increased levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1, which upregulates monocyte tissue factor expression in vitro, monocyte tissue factor expression was not increased at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass. Furthermore, at this time the monocytes were less sensitive to in vitro stimulation by endotoxin. These results might be explained by simultaneous enhanced levels of interleukin-10, which effectively downregulates monocyte tissue factor expression in vitro. Twenty hours after cardiopulmonary bypass was discontinued, the tissue factor expression on freshly isolated monocytes and on monocytes stimulated by endotoxin was significantly increased compared with preoperative levels. At this time increased activation markers of granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes were also recorded. None of the measured parameters was found to be different between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The tissue factor expression on circulating monocytes is upregulated the day after heart operations. The clinical relevance and the regulatory mechanism behind the enhanced expression, however, are not fully elucidated.

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Interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-13 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) are known to regulate several monocyte functions, including inhibition of the synthesis of different cytokines. Using quantitative RT-PCR and flow cytometry analysis we investigated the effects of these cytokines on bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tissue factor (TF) expression in human monocytes. The effects of IL-4 and IL-10 on monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)-and C-reactive protein (CRP)-induced TF expression were also studied. A direct comparison revealed that IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 all down-regulated LPS-induced TF expression in a concentration-dependent manner without the need for priming. In contrast, TGF-beta required 4 h of priming to inhibit TF expression induced by LPS. IL-10 was the most powerful inhibitor, causing almost complete inhibition at 5 ng/ml. IL-4 and IL-13 exhibited a significantly lower inhibitory capacity even at concentrations of 100 ng/ml. IL-4 and IL-10 showed similar concentration-dependent inhibition of MCP-1- and CRP-induced TF expression. We also showed that the regulatory effect of the interleukins occurred at the mRNA level. In vivo, these inhibitory cytokines may play an important regulatory role in preventing thrombosis. IL-10, in particular, may be a possible candidate as a TF-preventing drug.

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Monocytes induced to express tissue factor (TF), the initiator of the clotting cascade, might play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We have investigated the TF-inducing capacity of two factors thought to be involved in atherogenesis, i.e. the platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), a member of the chemokine superfamily. PDGF-BB and MCP-1 are potent chemotactic and activating factors for human blood monocytes. alpha-thrombin which is known to induce TF in endothelial cells and that recently has been shown to induce secretion of MCP-1 from endothelial cells and monocytes was also studied. PDGF-BB induced a dose-dependent expression of TF-antigen in monocytes with maximal response at 20-50 ng/mL. At higher concentrations the expression was reduced. No synergistic effect between PDGF-BB and LPS was seen. MCP-1 also induced a dose-dependent TF-expression with maximal response at 50 ng/mL. In contrast to these results thrombin did not. MCP-1 had a slight, but not significant, priming effect on LPS-induced TF expression. These data show that PDGF-BB and MCP-1 are potent inducers of TF in human peripheral blood monocytes. We suggest that this TF-induction might be an important link between hemostasis and inflammation.

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For quantitative comparison of thrombin generation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with heparin-coated vs conventional CPB circuits, thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2) were analyzed in 20 patients undergoing combined heart valve surgery and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), in ten cases with heparin-coated circuits (COMB-HC) and in ten with standard circuits (COMB-C). Extensive thrombin generation was found in both groups, with maximal TAT and F1 + 2 levels at the end of CPB. Of 15 operations with only CABG, seven were performed with heparin-coated circuits and heparin dose 40% of normal (CABG-HC), and eight with standard circuits and normal heparin doses (CABG-C). TAT was maximal at the end of CPB and F1 + 2 peaked 3 hours after protamine injection. At the end of CPB both levels were significantly higher in the CABG-HC than in the CABG-C group, though thrombin generation was less than in the COMB groups. The abundant thrombin generation during CPB thus was much more pronounced during complex operations. Use of heparin-coated circuits did not reduce thrombin generation, which was increased by 60% reduction of the systemic heparin dose. The clinical implications are still unknown, as no complications were observed.

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