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Thromb Haemost 2003; 90(03): 372-376
DOI: 10.1160/TH03-02-0067
Rapid Communication
Schattauer GmbH

High prevalence of elevated clotting factor VIII in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Diana Bonderman
7   Departments of Cardiology, University of Vienna, Austria
,
Peter L. Turecek
5   Baxter BioScience, Austria
,
Johannes Jakowitsch
7   Departments of Cardiology, University of Vienna, Austria
,
Ansgar Weltermann
1   Hematology, University of Vienna, Austria
,
Christopher Adlbrecht
7   Departments of Cardiology, University of Vienna, Austria
,
Barbara Schneider
3   Medical Statistics and University of Vienna, Austria
,
Meinhard Kneussl
4   Pulmonary Medicine, University of Vienna, Austria
,
Lewis J. Rubin
6   Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA
,
Paul A. Kyrle
1   Hematology, University of Vienna, Austria
,
Walter Klepetko
2   Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Vienna, Austria
,
Gerald Maurer
7   Departments of Cardiology, University of Vienna, Austria
,
Irene M. Lang
7   Departments of Cardiology, University of Vienna, Austria
› Author AffiliationsFinancial support: This research was supported by the Austrian fellowship grant FWF P13834-MED (to IML), the Österreichischer Selbsthilfeverein Lungenhochdruck and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research.
Further Information

Publication History

Received 02 February 2003

Accepted after resubmission 16 June 2003

Publication Date:
05 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is an enigmatic disorder lacking signs, symptoms and classical risk factors for venous thromboembolism.

The objective of the prospective case controlled study, carried out at the Pulmonary Hypertension Unit, University Hospital Vienna, Austria, was to investigate whether plasma FVIII is elevated in CTEPH patients.

The study examined 122 consecutive patients diagnosed with CTEPH. Plasma FVIII was measured and compared with plasma FVIII of healthy controls (n=82) and of patients with non-thromboembolic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, n=88).

Results show that CTEPH patients had higher FVIII levels than controls (233±83IU/dl versus 123±40IU/dl, p<0.0001) and PAH patients (158±61IU/dl, p<0.0001). Plasma FVIII one year after surgery (212±94IU/dl) was statistically unchanged compared with preoperative values (FVIII: 226±88IU/dl, n=25). FVIII>230IU/dl was more prevalent in CTEPH patients (41%) than in controls (5%, p<0.0001) and PAH patients (22%, p=0.022).

We can conclude that elevated plasma FVIII is the first prothrombotic factor identified in a large proportion of CTEPH patients.

Keywords

Factor VIII - pulmonary embolism - thrombophilia
 

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