fibrinopeptide-a and Atrial-Fibrillation

The aim of this study was to determine whether paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and/or restoration to sinus rhythm with electric or pharmacologic cardioversion induce modifications to the coagulation system. Thirty-five patients with PAF undergoing either electric (n = 11) or pharmacologic (n = 24) cardioversion were studied. Fibrinopeptide A and D-dimer blood samples were taken immediately before and after cardioversion at different intervals. When compared with the control group (n = 70), the precardioversion fibrinopeptide A plasma values were significantly elevated (11.8 vs 2.5 ng/mL). Fibrinopeptide A plasma values were significantly reduced 5 minutes after cardioversion (11.8 vs 5.3 ng/mL) and remained stable throughout the follow-up sequential measurements. D-dimer plasma values were significantly increased (measured at 12 hours and at day 7) in patients who underwent electrical cardioversions only. A positive correlation (R(2) = 0.76) was found between the energy delivered for cardioversion to sinus rhythm and D-dimer plasma values on day 7. In patients with PAF, levels of fibrinopeptide A, an indicator of coagulation activation, are elevated and soon reduced by the restoration of sinus rhythm. Electric, but not pharmacologic, cardioversion induces an early activation of the fibrinolytic system.

Topics: Aged; Atrial Fibrillation; Blood Coagulation Disorders; Electric Countershock; Female; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; Fibrinolysis; Fibrinopeptide A; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies

To investigate the association of left atrial (LA) spontaneous echo contrast with the hemostatic state in nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation (AF), we examined the plasma levels of prothrombin fragment 1+2 and fibrinopeptide A in 73 patients with chronic nonrheumatic AF undergoing transesophageal echocardiography and 38 age-matched normal subjects. The results support the theory that LA spontaneous echo contrast in nonrheumatic AF is associated with a hypercoagulable state, especially in patients with marked LA spontaneous echo contrast.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrial Fibrillation; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic; Case-Control Studies; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Female; Fibrinopeptide A; Heart Atria; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Peptide Fragments; Protein Precursors; Prothrombin; Thromboembolism

To investigate the relationship between left atrial (LA) flow dynamics and hemostatic markers in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), 45 patients with nonvalvular AF who had not received anticoagulants were evaluated by transesophageal echocardiography. We determined the LA appendage flow and the presence of LA spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) or thrombus. We measured plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), fibrinopeptide A, D-dimer, beta-thromboglobulin, and platelet factor 4 in peripheral blood as hemostatic markers. The patients were divided into a low-velocity group (n = 19; sum of peak emptying and filling LA appendage flow velocities < 40 cm/s) and a high-velocity group (n = 26; > or = 40 cm/s). The maximum LA diameter was significantly greater and the LA expansion fraction was significantly smaller in the low-velocity group than in the high-velocity group. LA SEC or thrombus was observed in 11 patients (58%) in the low-velocity group, but not in any patients in the high-velocity group (p < 0.001). The plasma levels of TAT, fibrinopeptide A, D-dimer, beta-thromboglobulin, and platelet factor 4 were significantly higher in the low-velocity group than in the high-velocity group. The plasma levels of TAT, fibrinopeptide A, beta-thromboglobulin, and platelet factor 4 were significantly higher in 8 patients without LA SEC or thrombus in the low-velocity group than in 26 patients in the high-velocity group. Patients with nonvalvular AF accompanied by an enlarged and dysfunctioning LA and a decreased LA appendage flow velocity had increased intravascular coagulation-fibrinolysis activity and platelet activation. These abnormalities may be closely related to the thrombogenetic state in patients with nonvalvular AF.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antithrombin III; Atrial Fibrillation; Atrial Function, Left; beta-Thromboglobulin; Biomarkers; Blood Coagulation; Blood Flow Velocity; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Female; Fibrinolysis; Fibrinopeptide A; Hemodynamics; Hemostasis; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Peptide Hydrolases; Platelet Factor 4

Given that the restoration of sinus rhythm after chronic atrial fibrillation is associated with embolic events, anticoagulation is prescribed before and after pharmacological and electrical cardioversion. However, the need for anticoagulation in patients with acute atrial fibrillation (lasting <48 hours) who undergo cardioversion is less clear. In addition, it is not known whether cardioversion to sinus rhythm determines a hypercoagulable state in these patients.. In 21 patients with acute nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, plasma median concentrations of thrombin-antithrombin complex, a marker of thrombin generation, significantly increased from 2.8 ng/mL (interquartile range, 2.1 to 4.0 ng/mL) on hospital admission to 3.5 ng/mL (interquartile range, 2.9 to 6.0 ng/mL) after cardioversion to sinus rhythm obtained by means of infusion of antiarrhythmic drugs and decreased to 2.5 ng/mL (interquartile range, 2.0 to 3.5 ng/mL) at the 1-month follow-up visit (P=.04). Similarly, the levels of fibrinopeptide A, a marker of thrombin activity, increased from 1.1 nmol/L (interquartile range, 0.7 to 1.5 nmol/L) at baseline to 1.8 nmol/L (interquartile range, 1.1 to 3.0 nmol/L) after cardioversion and returned to 0.8 nmol/L (interquartile range, 0.6 to 1.1 nmol/L) at the 1-month follow-up visit (P=.02).. A significant increase in plasma levels of the markers of thrombin generation and activity was observed in patients with acute atrial fibrillation early after pharmacological cardioversion to sinus rhythm. This is the first biochemical evidence that cardioversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation determines a hypercoagulable state.

Topics: Acute Disease; Amiodarone; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Antithrombin III; Atrial Fibrillation; Biomarkers; Disease Susceptibility; Female; Fibrinopeptide A; Flecainide; Hemostasis; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Peptide Hydrolases; Propafenone; Thrombin; Thromboembolism

To determine whether patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) have prothrombotic changes compared with patients in sinus rhythm.. Cross-sectional study. Hemostatic function compared in NVAF patients without prior embolic event (transient ischemic attack or embolic stroke) and control subjects without prior thrombotic stroke, and in NVAF patients with prior embolic event and control subjects with prior thrombotic stroke.. Internal medicine outpatient group practice and anticoagulation clinic in 2 teaching hospitals.. A total of 75 NVAF patients (50 without and 25 with prior embolic event) and 42 control patients (31 without and 11 with prior thrombotic stroke) recruited concurrently over 18 months during 1990-91.. Platelet count, prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and plasma levels of hemoglobin, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor antigen, factor VIII, fibrin D-dimer, antithrombin III, protein C, protein S, fibrinopeptide A and prothrombin fragment F1+2. All statistical analyses were performed after adjustments for age and sex.. The NVAF patients without a prior embolic event had significantly higher mean hemoglobin and fibrinogen levels (p < 0.001 and p = 0.05, respectively) than the control subjects without prior thrombotic stroke. The 29 NVAF patients not taking warfarin (none had had an embolic event) had significantly lower mean protein C and protein S levels (p = 0.012 and p < 0.001, respectively) and a significantly higher fibrinopeptide A level (p = 0.03, after exclusion of outliers) than the control subjects without prior stroke. The NVAF patients with a prior embolic event had alterations in the hemostatic variables similar to those seen in the control patients with a prior thrombotic stroke. The latter had significantly higher fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor antigen and factor VIII levels (p = 0.04, 0.002 and 0.002, respectively) and significantly lower protein S levels (p = 0.02) than the control subjects without prior stroke.. NVAF patients without a history of an embolic event show evidence of a prothrombotic state compared with patients in sinus rhythm who have not had a thrombotic stroke. NVAF patients with a history of an embolic event show evidence of a prothrombotic state similar to that of patients in sinus rhythm who have had a thrombotic stroke. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether these abnormalities predict higher risk of stroke in individual NVAF patients.

Topics: Aged; Anticoagulants; Antithrombin III; Atrial Fibrillation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Factor VIII; Female; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; Fibrinogen; Fibrinopeptide A; Hemoglobins; Hemostasis; Humans; Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis; Ischemic Attack, Transient; Male; Partial Thromboplastin Time; Peptide Fragments; Platelet Count; Protein C; Protein S; Prothrombin; Prothrombin Time; von Willebrand Factor; Warfarin

It has been reported that a patient with atrial fibrillation (AF) is in the hypercoagulable state and that this state results in a high incidence of systemic thromboembolisms. In this paper, we have investigated plasma fibrinopeptide A (FPA) levels and the effects of subcutaneous administration of heparin on these levels in patients with AF. Forty-five patients with hypertension (HT) or mitral stenosis (MS) were classified into four groups according to whether they had AF complications; i.e. HT with normal sinus rhythm (NSR), HT with AF, MS with NSR and MS with AF. Patients with AF demonstrated significantly higher plasma FPA levels and lower plasma antithrombin III (AT III) activities than those with NSR. When low dose heparin was administered to patients with AF, plasma FPA levels were decreased to the near normal range, accompanied by an increase in heparin-AT III complex activity and heparin concentration 0.5-1.0 h after injection. These levels were maintained for 5 h. From these results it was concluded that patients with AF were in the hypercoagulable state and that the measurement of plasma FPA levels provided a possibility to detect the underlying activation of blood coagulation.

Topics: Atrial Fibrillation; Fibrinogen; Fibrinopeptide A; Heparin; Humans; Hypertension; Mitral Valve Stenosis