Thrombosis | howMed Lectures

This movie requires Flash Player 9

Outline of Lecture

Thrombosis

Most common cause of death and disability in the United States

Arterial thrombosis

Myocardial infarction: 600,000 deaths per year

Stroke: 200,000 deaths per year

Venous thrombosis

Pulmonary embolism: 50,000 deaths per year

Thrombosis

Formation of a solid mass of platelets, RBCs, WBCs and fibrin within a living blood vessel or the heart.

Definitions

Thrombus: intravascular, living vessel or heart

Blood clot: extravascular, hematoma, post-mortem, in vitro

Embolus: fragment of thrombus that moves to a new site

Arterial Thrombosis

High speed blood flow

High shear and turbulence

Thrombus primarily composed of platelets with smaller amounts of fibrin and other cells

Thrombus associated with vascular abnormalities (atherosclerosis) most often

Arterial Thrombosis

Venous Thrombosis

Slow blood flow

Low shear

Thrombus primarily composed of fibrin with layers of platelets and RBCs

Most often occurs in cases of stasis (inadequate flow) or biochemical abnormalities

Venous Thrombosis

Thromboembolism

Arterial: often fragment of thrombus from heart wall or heart valve, travels downstream to smaller vessel – may lead to stroke or MI

Venous: fragment of venous thrombus that breaks off and travels upstream towards the heart, may lead to pulmonary embolism

Embolus

Pathophysiology of Thrombosis

Injury or Activation of Endothelium

Alteration in Blood Flow

Alteration in Hemostatic System

Biochemical Abnormalities

Endothelium

Injury or Activation of Endothelium

Atherosclerosis

Life style – smoking, obesity

Immune mediated

Heparin induced thrombocytopenia

Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (Lupus Inhib)

Trauma

Artificial Surface (vascular graft)

Inflammation/Infection

Alteration in Blood Flow

Arterial Thrombosis

Turbulence, shearing forces, platelet binding

Atherosclerosis, vascular graft

Venous Thrombosis

Stasis, slow flow

bed rest, sitting for long trip

Alteration in Hemostatic System

Coagulation System

Fibrinolytic System

Platelets

Vessel Wall/Endothelium

Thrombophilia

Unusual or unexplained thrombosis – spontaneous, idiopathic, essential

Young age (20s, 30s, 40s)

No risk factors

Recurrent, unusual site (arm), multiple sites, extensive

Trigger – pregnancy, trauma, surgery

Coagulation Regulation

Accelerated Coagulation due to reduced inhibition of coagulation

Accelerated Coagulation due to elevated levels of coagulation factors

Coagulation Regulation – Strong Risk Factors

Antithrombin/Heparin Complex

Antithrombin/Endothelial Complex

Antithrombin Function

Regulates coagulation by inhibiting thrombin, FIXa, FXa

Forms 1:1 complex with active site of factor

Antithrombin is consumed in the process

Complexes are cleared by the liver

Activity increased 1000 fold by heparin

Hereditary Antithrombin Deficiency

Antithrombin Clinical

Increased risk of venous thromboembolism

First episode typically in 20s to 40s associated with pregnancy, trauma or surgery

Most common sites for thrombosis

Lower extremities

Pulmonary embolus

Mesenteric vein thrombosis

Superior sagittal sinus thrombosis

Cause of decreased Antithrombin

Heparin therapy

Nephrotic syndrome

Asparaginase therapy

DIC

Hereditary deficiency

Reduced production

Abnormal molecule

Heparin and Antithrombin

Antithrombin Deficiency – Case 1

19 y/o woman with worsening abdominal pain, peritonitis, hematemesis

Surgery revealed small bowel infarction due to mesenteric vein thrombosis

Past History – three episodes of deep venous thrombosis

Family History – father had recurrent DVT, died of mesenteric vein thrombosis at age 29

Antithrombin Deficiency – Case 1

Laboratory evaluation

Antithrombin activity = 48%

Antithrombin antigen = 50%

Protein C antigen = 115%

Follow up

Died of hemorrhagic cerebral infarct

Protein C is activated by
Thrombin/thrombomodulin complex

Activated Protein C inactivates FVa

Protein C System

Protein C and Protein S are vitamin K dependent proteins

Protein C is activated by thrombin/thrombomodulin on endothelial cells

Protein S is a co-factor

Activated protein C + protein S destroys factor Va and factor VIIIa – blocking coagulation

Protein C System – 3 abnormalities

Protein C deficiency

Protein S deficiency

Mutation of factor V cleavage site (activated protein C resistance)

Hereditary Protein C deficiency

Autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance

most patients heterozygous – 1 gene abnormal

rare severe homozygous – purpura fulminans

Incidence heterozygous – 1:200

Incidence symptomatic – 1:1000

Activity levels 50% of normal

Increased risk of venous thrombosis

Causes of decreased Protein C

Warfarin therapy

Ongoing thrombosis

Vitamin K deficiency

Liver disease

Post-operative state

Hereditary deficiency

Reduced production

Abnormal molecule

Protein S

Co-factor of Protein C, produced in megakarocytes and endothelium

Vitamin K dependent – activity reduced more than antigenic level

60% bound to C4B-binding protein (inactive)

Protein S Assays

Total Protein S Antigen

Free Protein S Antigen – used at UW

Protein S Activity

Protein S deficiency

High C4B-binding protein – common

normal total, low free, low activity

Abn gene – low PS production – 1:2000

low total, low free, low activity

Abn gene – abnormal molecule – rare

normal total, ?free, low activity

Protein C/Protein S Clinical

Increased risk of venous thrombosis

First episode – 20s to 40s, associated with pregnancy, trauma, surgery

Warfarin associated skin necrosis

occurs 24 – 48 hrs after starting warfarin

Neonatal purpura fulminans

homozygous PC or PS deficiency – rare

Protein C and Protein S on Warfarin

Protein C and Protein S activity decrease along with Factors II, VII, IX and X

Protein C antigen falls to less than 50%

Protein S antigen falls to about 80%

Difficult to diagnose hereditary deficiency on warfarin

Protein C Deficiency – Case Study

APC Resistance – Mutant Factor V

Activated Protein C (APC) destroys factor Va by cleaving it at arginine 506

Some patients have a mutated factor V with a glutamine at position 506, this prevents APC from cleaving factor Va and destroying it

Defect is termed Factor V Leiden or APC resistance

Increased risk of venous thrombosis

Assay for Factor V Leiden

APC Resistance Assay

Determine aPTT in plasma before and after addition of Activated Protein C

Dilute sample in Factor V deficient plasma

Interpretation of ratio (PTTapc/PTT)

>2.1                         normal

1.5-1.8     heterozygous abn Factor V