fibrinopeptide-a and Hypertension

1. The lack of a general agreement on the definition of PE makes the interpretation of laboratory findings in different series of these patients difficult. 2. Thrombocytopenia is the most common hemostatic abnormality in patients with PE and is caused by platelet consumption. 3. There is little concrete evidence that thrombin mediates the thrombocytopenia in most of these patients. 4. Immune mechanisms or severe vasospasm with resultant endothelial damage may contribute to the thrombocytopenia in some patients.

Topics: Anemia, Hemolytic; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Eclampsia; Epoprostenol; Factor VIII; Female; Fibrin; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; Fibrinogen; Fibrinopeptide A; Humans; Hypertension; Platelet Count; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic; Thrombin; Thrombocytopenia; Thromboxane A2

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

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

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Blood Coagulation; Brain Injuries; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Female; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; Fibrinogen; Fibrinolysis; Fibrinopeptide A; Fibrinopeptide B; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Peptide Fragments

Increased plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG) and fibrinopeptide A (FPA), markers of platelet release and thrombin generation respectively, were measured in normal women, women taking oral contraceptives, normal pregnancy and pregnant women with hypertension or pre-eclampsia. No significant increases in beta TG or FPA were found in women taking oral contraceptives. Significantly increased concentrations of beta TG, but not FPA, were found in normal pregnant women in the second and third trimester of pregnancy when compared with non-pregnant age-matched controls. In eleven women with pregnancy hypertension and thirteen women with pre-eclampsia significantly elevated levels of both beta TG and FPA were found when compared with age, parity and gestation-matched pregnant controls. Although the mean value for both beta TG and FPA in the group with pre-eclampsia was higher than the group with pregnancy hypertension, the difference was not statistically significant. These findings provide additional evidence that pre-eclampsia and pregnancy hypertension are associated with activation of the coagulation system and the platelet release reaction.

Topics: Beta-Globulins; beta-Thromboglobulin; Contraceptives, Oral; Female; Fibrinogen; Fibrinopeptide A; Humans; Hypertension; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular; Pregnancy Trimester, First; Pregnancy Trimester, Third