fibrinopeptide-a and Breast-Neoplasms

The effect of an immunotherapy with Corynebacterium parvum on the blood coagulation system was investigated in a randomized trial of 18 patients with metastatic breast cancer. All patients received cytostatic therapy. Additionally, C. parvum was given intravenously on day 15 of the cytostatic cycle (group I) or on day 1 (group II) or not at all (group III). Fibrinopeptide A increased within 2 h after intravenous administration of C. parvum in groups I and II and normalized after 24 h (p less than 0.05). Platelet counts decreased continuously in all treatment groups (p less than 0.05). Prothrombin time, fibrinolytic concentration, factor VIII:C and factor VIIIR:Ag were not affected. The fibrinolytic activity showed a slight but not statistically significant increase after intravenous administration of C. parvum. The data suggest that plasma hypercoagulability is induced or enhanced in man even after small intravenous doses of C. parvum.

Topics: Bacterial Vaccines; Blood Coagulation Disorders; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Fibrinopeptide A; Humans; Immunotherapy; Neoplasm Metastasis; Platelet Count; Propionibacterium acnes

The predictive value for cancer recurrence of five measurements of haemostatic activity was studied in 89 patients with operable breast cancer. Neither preoperative nor sequential measurements up to 9 months postoperatively of fibrinopeptide A, fibrin fragment B beta 15-42, fibrinogen and serum fibrin(ogen) degradation products nor the fibrin plate lysis assay correlated with early recurrent disease. B beta 15-42 values were higher preoperatively in patients with oestrogen receptor positive tumours (P = 0.017). Mean B beta 15-42 values rose postoperatively (P = 0.003), largely because of an increase in patients with oestrogen receptor negative tumours.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; Fibrinogen; Fibrinopeptide A; Fibrinopeptide B; Hemostasis; Humans; Middle Aged; Peptide Fragments; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Recurrence; Time Factors

Fibrin formation and fibrinolysis were estimated in 89 breast cancer patients by measurement in plasma of Fibrin Fragment B beta 15-42 and Fibrinopeptide A (FPA), serum Fibrin(ogen) Degradation Products (FDPs) and plasminogen activator by Fibrin Plate Lysis Assay. Results were compared with (a) 26 patients with benign breast diseases; and (b) 45 healthy factory workers. FPA, FDP and B beta 15-42 levels were elevated in both breast cancer patients and benign disease patients, but there were no significant differences between these two groups. Cancer stage, patient age and smoking habits did not affect these results, but Oestrogen Receptor (ER) positive patients had higher B beta 15-42 values than ER negative patients (p = 0.017). These results show that fibrin formation is enhanced preoperatively in patients with either benign or malignant breast disease. The fibrinolytic response to activated coagulation may be relatively deficient in breast cancer. The roles of malignancy, stress and other factors in the causation of these abnormalities require further assessment.

Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Female; Fibrin; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; Fibrinogen; Fibrinolysis; Fibrinopeptide A; Fibrinopeptide B; Humans; Peptide Fragments; Plasminogen Activators

Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; Fibrinogen; Fibrinopeptide A; Fibrinopeptide B; Humans; Peptide Fragments; Time Factors

Topics: Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Blood Proteins; Breast Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Fibrinopeptide A; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Lung Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Partial Thromboplastin Time; Protein C; Protein C Deficiency; Protein C Inhibitor

Sixteen patients with clinically localized breast carcinoma who had been receiving tamoxifen 20 mg twice daily for between 3 and 38 months (median, 14 months) were studied. Several parameters of coagulation (antithrombin III, protein C, fibrinopeptide A and in vitro monocyte procoagulant activity) were investigated in this group and compared to a group of 15 patients with clinically localised breast carcinoma not given tamoxifen. Tamoxifen did not induce significant changes in these parameters to account for the reported thromboembolic events associated with this therapy. The reduced antithrombin III activity previously described in patients receiving tamoxifen for metastatic breast cancer may reflect disease activity rather than a direct effect of tamoxifen on blood coagulation.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antithrombin III; Blood Coagulation; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Fibrinopeptide A; Humans; Lymphatic Metastasis; Middle Aged; Monocytes; Protein C; Tamoxifen

58 patients with clinically localised breast carcinoma, treated by either mastectomy alone or lumpectomy plus local radiotherapy, have now been followed for up to 51 months (median 12 months). 21 of the 58 patients (36.2%) had a persistently elevated or rising fibrinopeptide A level after surgery and 11 of these patients (52%) to date have subsequently developed recurrent breast carcinoma up to 27 months after the fibrinopeptide A level became elevated (median 6 months). Conversely, only 2 (5.4%) of the 37 patients with persistently normal post-operative fibrinopeptide A levels have developed recurrent disease. Elevated fibrinopeptide A levels appear to be a marker of persistent tumour activity and precede clinical recurrence in certain patients with breast carcinoma, but normal values do not exclude recurrent or residual disease.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Biomarkers, Tumor; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Fibrinogen; Fibrinopeptide A; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Predictive Value of Tests

Abnormalities of blood coagulation associated with neoplasia may be important in the pathogenesis of tumour spread. Most patients with advanced malignancy have evidence of activated coagulation, but the mechanisms underlying this are unclear. We have examined in vitro monocyte procoagulant activity and compared this to plasma levels of fibrinopeptide A, in 52 patients with clinically localised breast cancer. Patients with localised breast cancer and activated coagulation displayed a strong positive correlation between monocyte procoagulant activity and level of fibrinopeptide A(r = +0.86, p less than 0.001). No such relationship was demonstrated in a smaller number of patients with metastatic breast cancer. It is concluded that monocyte procoagulant activity plays an important role in coagulation activation in patients with localised breast cancer. The implications of this for adjuvant anticoagulant therapy in breast cancer are discussed.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blood Coagulation Factors; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Fibrinopeptide A; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Monocytes; Neoplasm Metastasis

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Breast Neoplasms; Factor XIII; Female; Fibrinogen; Fibrinopeptide A; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Leukemia; Male; Middle Aged; Thrombin; Transglutaminases

In 13 patients with effusions of varying etiology, considerably higher fibrinopeptide A (FPA) immunoreactivity were found in the effusions than in the corresponding plasmas. After instillation of heparin into the effusion the FPA concentration diminished significantly but very slowly. The difference in concentration between plasma and effusion therefore represents a relative FPA accumulation in the effusion. In view of its extremely short half-life in plasma, the FPA produced in the effusions is thought not to contribute to the increased plasma FPA levels. In addition, injection of amounts of FPA into the effusion such as to produce an acute increase of the local FPA level did not lead to a significant change in the FPA level in plasma.

Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Bronchial Neoplasms; Fatty Liver; Female; Fibrinogen; Fibrinopeptide A; Half-Life; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Pleural Effusion