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Background: The performance of different diagnostic strategies for pulmonary embolism (PE) in patient subgroups is unclear.Purpose: To evaluate and compare the efficiency and safety of the Wells rule with fixed or age-adjusted d-dimer testing overall and in inpatients and persons with cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, previous venous thromboembolism, delayed presentation, and age 75 years or older.Data Sources: MEDLINE and EMBASE from 1 January 1988 to 13 February 2016.Study Selection: 6 prospective studies in which the diagnostic management of PE was guided by the dichotomized Wells rule and quantitative d-dimer testing.Data Extraction: Individual data of 7268 patients; risk of bias assessed by 2 investigators with the QUADAS-2 (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2) tool.Data Synthesis: The proportion of patients in whom imaging could be withheld based on a "PE-unlikely" Wells score and a negative d-dimer test result (efficiency) was estimated using fixed (≤500 µg/L) and age-adjusted (age × 10 µg/L in patients aged >50 years) d-dimer thresholds; their 3-month incidence of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (failure rate) was also estimated. Overall, efficiency increased from 28% to 33% when the age-adjusted (instead of the fixed) d-dimer threshold was applied. This increase was more prominent in elderly patients (12%) but less so in inpatients (2.6%). The failure rate of age-adjusted d-dimer testing was less than 3% in all examined subgroups.Limitation: Post hoc analysis, between-study differences in patient characteristics, use of various d-dimer assays, and limited statistical power to assess failure rate.Conclusion: Age-adjusted d-dimer testing is associated with a 5% absolute increase in the proportion of patients with suspected PE in whom imaging can be safely withheld compared with fixed d-dimer testing. This strategy seems safe across different high-risk subgroups, but its efficiency varies.Primary Funding Source: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Parenteral anticoagulants may improve outcomes in patients with cancer by reducing risk of venous thromboembolic disease and through a direct antitumour effect. Study-level systematic reviews indicate a reduction in venous thromboembolism and provide moderate confidence that a small survival benefit exists. It remains unclear if any patient subgroups experience potential benefits. Methods and analysis: First, we will perform a comprehensive systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library, hand search scientific conference abstracts and check clinical trials registries for randomised control trials of participants with solid cancers who are administered parenteral anticoagulants. We anticipate identifying at least 15 trials, exceeding 9000 participants. Second, we will perform an individual participant data metaanalysis to explore the magnitude of survival benefit and address whether subgroups of patients are more likely to benefit from parenteral anticoagulants. All analyses will follow the intention-to-treat principle. For our primary outcome, mortality, we will use multivariable hierarchical models with patient-level variables as fixed effects and a categorical trial variable as a random effect. We will adjust analysis for important prognostic characteristics. To investigate whether intervention effects vary by predefined subgroups of patients, we will test interaction terms in the statistical model. Furthermore, we will develop a risk-prediction model for venous thromboembolism, with a focus on control patients of randomised trials. Ethics and dissemination: Aside from maintaining participant anonymity, there are no major ethical concerns. This will be the first individual participant data meta-analysis addressing heparin use among patients with cancer and will directly influence recommendations in clinical practice guidelines. Major cancer guideline development organisations will use eventual results to inform their guideline recommendations. Several knowledge users will disseminate results through presentations at clinical rounds as well as national and international conferences. We will prepare an evidence brief and facilitate dialogue to engage policymakers and stakeholders in acting on findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preclinical animal studies have suggested that myeloid cell–synthesized coagulation factor X dampens antitumor immunity and that rivaroxaban, a direct factor Xa inhibitor, can be used to promote tumor immunity. This study was aimed at assessing whether patients with atrial fibrillation taking direct factor Xa inhibitors have lower risk of cancer and cancer-related mortality than patients taking the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran. Methods and findings: This nationwide population-based cohort study in Denmark included adult patients with atrial fibrillation and without a history of cancer, who started taking a factor Xa inhibitor or dabigatran between 2011 and 2015. Data on medical history, outcomes, and drug use were acquired through Danish healthcare registries. The primary outcome was any cancer. Secondary outcomes were cancer-related mortality and all-cause mortality. Outcome events were assessed during 5 years of follow-up in an intention-to-treat analysis. The propensity score-based inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to compute cumulative incidence and subdistribution hazard ratios (SHRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), with death as a competing event. Propensity scores were estimated using logistic regression and including in the model sex, age group at index date, comorbidities, and use of comedications. A total of 11,742 patients with atrial fibrillation starting a factor Xa inhibitor and 11,970 patients starting dabigatran were included. Mean age was 75.2 years (standard deviation [SD] 11.2) in the factor Xa cohort and 71.7 years (SD 11.1) in the dabigatran cohort. On the basis of the propensity score-weighted models, after 5 years of follow-up, no substantial difference in the cumulative incidence of cancer was observed between the factor Xa inhibitor (2,157/23,711; 9.11%, 95% CI [8.61%,9.63%]) and dabigatran (2,294/23,715; 9.68%, 95% CI [9.14%,10.25%]) groups (SHR 0.94, 95% CI [0.89,1.00], P value 0.0357). We observed no difference in cancer-related mortality (factor Xa inhibitors cohort 1,028/23,711; 4.33%, 95% CI [4.02%,4.68%]. Dabigatran cohort 1,001/23,715; 4.22%, 95% CI [3.83%,4.66%]; SHR 1.03, 95% CI [0.94,1.12]), but all-cause mortality was higher in the factor Xa inhibitor cohort (factor Xa inhibitors cohort 7,416/23,711; 31.31%, 95% CI [30.37%,32.29%]. Dabigatran cohort 6,531/23,715; 27.56%, 95% CI [26.69%,28.45%]; HR 1.17, 95% CI [1.13,1.21]). The main limitations of the study were the possibility of residual confounding and the short follow-up period. Conclusions: In this population based cohort study, factor Xa inhibitor use was not associated with an overall lower incidence of cancer or cancer-related mortality when compared to dabigatran. We did observe an increase in all-cause mortality in the factor Xa inhibitor cohort. Floris Bosch and colleagues investigate whether patients with atrial fibrillation taking direct Factor Xa inhibitors have a lower risk of cancer and cancer-related mortality than patients taking dabigatran. Author summary: Why was this study done?: A preclinical study in mice with breast cancer and fibrosarcoma showed that factor X dampens antitumor immunity and that factor Xa inhibitor promote tumor immunity. Whether factor Xa inhibition is associated with decreased cancer incidence and cancer-related mortality in humans is unknown. What did the researchers do and find?: We assessed cancer incidence during 5 years of follow-up in patients with atrial fibrillation in Denmark using a factor Xa inhibitor (n = 11,742) or a thrombin inhibitor (dabigatran) (n = 11,970) for stroke prevention. No substantial difference in the cumulative incidence of cancer was observed between the factor Xa inhibitor (9.11%, 95% CI [8.61%,9.63%]) and dabigatran (9.68%, 95% CI [9.14%,10.25%]) groups (SHR 0.94, 95% CI [0.89,1.00]. No difference in cancer-related mortality (SHR 1.03, 95% CI [0.94,1.12]) was observed, but all-cause mortality was higher in the factor Xa inhibitor cohort (HR 1.17, 95% CI [1.13,1.21]). What do these findings mean?: Factor Xa inhibitor use for atrial fibrillation did not appear to significantly reduce cancer risk compared to dabigatran use. The main limitations of the study were the possibility of residual confounding and the short follow-up period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma patients are at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Tumor-intrinsic features are considered to play a role, but the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain incompletely understood. To identify tumor-expressed genes and signaling pathways that associate with glioblastoma-related VTE by using next generation RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq). The tumor gene expression profile of 23 glioblastoma patients with VTE and 23 glioblastoma patients without VTE was compared using an unpaired analysis. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) core analysis was performed on the top 50 differentially expressed genes to explore associated functions and pathways. Based on full RNA-Seq data, molecular glioblastoma subtypes were determined by performing cluster analysis. Of the 19,327 genes, 1246 (6.4 %) were differentially expressed between glioblastoma patients with and without VTE (unadjusted P < 0.05). The most highly overexpressed gene was GLI1 , a classical target gene in the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway (log2 fold change: 3.7; unadjusted P < 0.0001, adjusted P = 0.219). In line, Shh signaling was among the top canonical pathways and processes associated with VTE. The proportion of patients with the proneural/neural glioblastoma subtype was higher among those with VTE than controls. Shh signaling may be involved in the development of glioblastoma-related VTE. • Glioblastoma patients have a high risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). • RNA-seq is a promising tool to identify biomarkers for cancer-associated thrombosis. • 6.4 % of genes were differently expressed in glioblastoma patients with VTE. • GLI1 , target gene of Sonic Hedgehog signaling, showed the highest overexpression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently published 4-level Pulmonary Embolism Clinical Probability Score (4PEPS) integrates different aspects from currently available diagnostic strategies to further reduce imaging testing in patients with clinically suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). To externally validate the performance of 4PEPS in an independent cohort. In this post-hoc analysis of the prospective diagnostic management YEARS study, the primary outcome measures were discrimination, calibration, efficiency (proportion of imaging tests potentially avoided), and failure rate (venous thromboembolism (VTE) diagnosis at baseline or follow-up in patients with a negative 4PEPS algorithm). Multiple imputation was used for missing 4PEPS items. Based on 4PEPS, PE was considered ruled out in patients with a very low clinical pre-test probability (CPTP) without D-dimer testing, in patients with a low CPTP and D-dimer <1000 μg/L, and in patients with a moderate CPP and D-dimer below the age-adjusted threshold. Of the 3465 patients, 474 (14 %) were diagnosed with VTE at baseline or during 3-month follow-up. Discriminatory performance of the 4PEPS items was good (area under ROC-curve, 0.82; 95%CI, 0.80–0.84) as was calibration. Based on 4PEPS, PE could be considered ruled out without imaging in 58 % (95%CI 57–60) of patients (efficiency), for an overall failure rate of 1.3 % (95%CI 0.86–1.9). In this retrospective external validation, 4PEPS appeared to safely rule out PE with a high efficiency. Nevertheless, although not exceeding the failure rate margin by ISTH standards, the observed failure rate in our analysis appeared to be higher than in the original 4PEPS derivation and validation study. This highlights the importance of a prospective outcome study. • 4PEPS aims to further reduce imaging. • We performed a post-hoc analysis to externally validate 4PEPS. • With 4PEPS, PE could be ruled out without imaging in 58 %, for an 1.3 % failure rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concomitant use of P-glycoprotein inhibitors can reduce clearance of edoxaban and increase its plasma concentration. Caution is advised with simultaneous use of edoxaban and the frequently used P-glycoprotein inhibitor tamoxifen. However, pharmacokinetic data are lacking. This study aimed to assess the effect of tamoxifen on edoxaban clearance. This was a prospective, self-controlled, pharmacokinetic study in breast cancer participants starting tamoxifen. Edoxaban was given at a dose of 60 mg once daily for 4 consecutive days, first without tamoxifen and later with concomitant tamoxifen in steady-state. On day 4 of both edoxaban sequences, serial blood samples were taken. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed using nonlinear mixed effects modelling in which the effect of tamoxifen on edoxaban clearance was assessed. Additionally, mean area under the curves (AUC) were estimated. Geometric least square means (GLM) ratios were calculated and no interaction was concluded if the 90 % CI was within the 80–125 % no-effect boundaries. Twenty-four women with breast cancer scheduled for tamoxifen were included. The median age was 56 years (IQR 51–63). The average edoxaban clearance was 32.0 L/h (95 % CI, 11.1–35.0 L/h). There was no effect of tamoxifen on edoxaban clearance, with a fraction of 100 % (95 % CI 92–108) compared to clearance without tamoxifen. The mean AUCs were 1923 ng*h/ml (SD 695) without tamoxifen and 1947 ng*h/ml (SD 595) with tamoxifen (GLM-ratio 100.4; 90 % CI 98.6–102.2). Concomitant use of the P-glycoprotein inhibitor tamoxifen does not lead to reduced clearance of edoxaban in patients with breast cancer. • Tamoxifen could increase edoxaban plasma levels and bleeding risk in women. • We assessed edoxaban clearance in women with breast cancer on tamoxifen. • No difference in clearance was observed with and without concomitant tamoxifen. • Edoxaban seems safe to combine with tamoxifen in women with breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thrombosis is a major driver of adverse outcome and mortality in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hypercoagulability may be related to the cytokine storm associated with COVID-19, which is mainly driven by interleukin (IL)-6. Plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels increase following IL-6 upregulation and Lp(a) has anti-fibrinolytic properties. This study investigated whether Lp(a) elevation may contribute to the pro-thrombotic state hallmarking COVID-19 patients. Lp(a), IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured in 219 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and analyzed with linear mixed effects model. The baseline biomarkers and increases during admission were related to venous thromboembolism (VTE) incidence and clinical outcomes in a Kaplan-Meier and logistic regression analysis. Lp(a) levels increased significantly by a mean of 16.9 mg/dl in patients with COVID-19 during the first 21 days after admission. Serial Lp(a) measurements were available in 146 patients. In the top tertile of Lp(a) increase, 56.2% of COVID-19 patients experienced a VTE event compared to 18.4% in the lowest tertile (RR 3.06, 95% CI 1.61–5.81; p < 0.001). This association remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, IL-6 and CRP increase and number of measurements. Increases in IL-6 and CRP were not associated with VTE. Increase in Lp(a) was strongly correlated with increase in IL-6 (r = 0.44, 95% CI 0.30–0.56, p < 0.001). Increases in Lp(a) levels during the acute phase of COVID-19 were strongly associated with VTE incidence. The acute increase in anti-fibrinolytic Lp(a) may tilt the balance to VTE in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. [Display omitted] • IL-6 increase leads to an increase in Lp(a) levels. • Lp(a) levels increase during hospitalization for COVID-19. • Increases in Lp(a) during hospitalization are associated with venous thromboembolism incidence up to 56%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Guidelines recommend using risk assessment tools to identify ambulatory patients with cancer at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE)., Objective: We aimed to validate a new cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) risk score in a population-based healthcare setting., Methods: We used healthcare registry data and electronic medical records from the Central Denmark Region to calculate the new CAT risk score and the guideline-recommended Khorana score in patients with a first-time cancer diagnosis who initiated systemic cancer therapy. Patients were followed for six months after initiation of therapy. The outcome was any VTE identified through hospital discharge diagnoses. Discrimination was assessed using c-statistics., Results: We included 12,471 patients from 2012 through 2020. Of these, 416 (3.3%) developed VTE. The c-statistic was 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68-0.74) for the new CAT score and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.63-0.70) for the Khorana score. The six-month cumulative VTE incidence was 5.0% in 6,175 patients classified as high risk by the new CAT score, compared with 1.7% in 6,296 patients classified as low risk. The six-month cumulative VTE incidence was 5.2% in 4,263 patients classified as high risk by the Khorana score, compared with 2.4% in 8,208 patients classified as low risk., Conclusion: The new CAT score had a discriminatory ability similar to that reported in the derivation study. The c-statistic was numerically higher than that of the Khorana score. Our findings support implementation of the new CAT score to identify ambulatory patients with cancer who are at high risk of VTE., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Guidelines suggest indefinite anticoagulation after unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) unless the bleeding risk is high, yet there is no consistent guidance on assessing bleeding risk., Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of 5 bleeding risk tools (RIETE, VTE-BLEED, CHAP, VTE-PREDICT, and ABC-Bleeding)., Methods: PLATO-VTE, a prospective cohort study, included patients aged ≥40 years with a first unprovoked VTE. Risk estimates were calculated at VTE diagnosis and after 3 months of treatment. Primary outcome was clinically relevant bleeding, as per International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis criteria, during 24-month follow-up. Discrimination was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Patients were classified as having a "high risk" and "non-high risk" of bleeding according to predefined thresholds; bleeding risk in both groups was compared by hazard ratios (HRs)., Results: Of 514 patients, 38 (7.4%) had an on-treatment bleeding. AUROCs were 0.58 (95% CI, 0.48-0.68) for ABC-Bleeding, 0.56 (95% CI, 0.46-0.66) for RIETE, 0.53 (95% CI, 0.43-0.64) for CHAP, 0.50 (95% CI, 0.41-0.59) for VTE-BLEED, and 0.50 (95% CI, 0.40-0.60) for VTE-PREDICT. The proportion of high-risk patients ranged from 1.4% with RIETE to 36.9% with VTE-BLEED. The bleeding incidence in the high-risk groups ranged from 0% with RIETE to 13.0% with ABC-Bleeding, and in the non-high-risk groups, it varied from 7.7% with ABC-Bleeding to 9.6% with RIETE. HRs ranged from 0.93 (95% CI, 0.46-1.9) for VTE-BLEED to 1.67 (95% CI, 0.86-3.2) for ABC-Bleeding. Recalibration at 3-month follow-up did not alter the results., Conclusion: In this cohort, discrimination of currently available bleeding risk tools was poor. These data do not support their use in patients with unprovoked VTE., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests N.A.M.G., A.-M.L.B., S.S.W., N.K., F.I.M., M.J.L.P., M.t.W, J.M.M.B.O., E.P., V.S.-L., and P.M.M.B. have no competing interests to disclose. M.C. has received research funding from BMS, Pfizer, and LEO Pharma. He has also received Honoria from Bayer, BMS, Pfizer, Servier, and LEO Pharma. A.D. has received research funding from BMS-Pfizer and Honoria from Bayer, BMS-Pfizer, Servier, and LEO Pharma. L.J.-P. has received research funding from LEO Pharma and MSD. He has also received honoraria from Bayer Hispania, Actelion, Pfizer, Rovi, LEO Pharma, Menarini, and MSD. M.D. has received research funding from LEO Pharma and honoraria and consultancy fees from Daiichi Sankyo, Bayer, BMS-Pfizer, Sanofi, and LEO Pharma outside the submitted work. W.A. has received research funding from Bayer and honoraria from Bayer, BMS-Pfizer, Aspen, Sanofi, Janssen, Werfen, LEO Pharma, and Portola. J.B.-W. has received research funding from Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, Pfizer, and Portola/Alexion. He has also received honoraria from Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, Pfizer, and Portola/Alexion. T.V. has served as a speaker and/or advisor for Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, BMS/Pfizer, Bayer, Sanofi, and LEO Pharma. F.A.K. reports research grants from Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD, Daiichi Sankyo, Actelion, the Dutch Thrombosis Association, and the Dutch Heart foundation. B.C. reports speakers’ fees from Daiichi Sankyo and Sanofi. V.E.A.G. reports lecture fees from Novo Nordisk, and funding of studies by Dutch Thrombosis Foundation, AstraZeneca, and Zambon. H.B. reports consulting fees from Daiichi Sankyo, Bayer Healthcare, BMS/Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Portola, Medscape, Eli Lilly, Sanofi Aventis, and Ionis. N.v.E. has received advisory board honoraria from Daiichi Sankyo, Bayer, and LEO Pharma, which were transferred to his institute. P.W.K. received research grants from Daiichi Sankyo and Roche Diagnostics., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major preventable cause of morbidity, disability, and mortality in subjects with cancer. A global appraisal of cancer-associated VTE education and awareness is not available., Objectives: To evaluate VTE-related education, awareness, and unmet needs from the perspective of people living with cancer using a quantitative and qualitative approach., Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from an online-based survey covering multidimensional domains of cancer-associated VTE. Data are presented descriptively. Potential differences across participant subgroups were explored., Results: Among 2262 patients with cancer from 42 countries worldwide, 55.3% received no VTE education throughout their cancer journey, and an additional 8.2% received education at the time of VTE diagnosis only, leading to 63.5% receiving no or inappropriately delayed education. When education was delivered, only 67.8% received instructions to seek medical attention in case of VTE suspicion, and 36.9% reported scarce understanding. One-third of participants (32.4%) felt psychologically distressed when becoming aware of the potential risks and implications connected with cancer-associated VTE. Most responders (78.8%) deemed VTE awareness highly relevant, but almost half expressed concerns about the quality of education received. While overall consistent, findings in selected survey domains appeared to numerically differ across age group, ethnicity, continent of residence, educational level, metastatic status, and VTE history., Conclusion: This study involving a large and diverse population of individuals living with cancer identifies important unmet needs in VTE-related education, awareness, and support across healthcare systems globally. These findings unveil multilevel opportunities to expedite patient-centered care in cancer-associated VTE prevention and management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests N.P. reports a training fellowship from the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis and research funding from International Network of VENous Thromboembolism Clinical Research Networks (INVENT) outside of the submitted work. I.M. reports research funding from Leo Pharma and BMS-Pfizer outside of the submitted work, and advisory board/honoraria from Bayer, BMS-Pfizer, Leo, and Sanofi. P.A. reports research funding from Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and Spark Therapeutics outside of the submitted work. G.C.M. reports personal fees from Bayer and BMS-Pfizer outside the submitted work. N.V.E. received, outside of the submitted work, advisory board honoraria from Daiichi-Sankyo, Bayer, and Leo Pharma paid to his institution. A.L. reports lecture fees from Leo Pharma outside the submitted work. E.O. reports funding from Novo Nordisk outside the submitted work and Pfizer advisory board/honoraria. F.N.A. reports grant funding (IIS paid to university) from Daiichi-Sankyo, Leo Pharma, Sanofi, and Actelion, and consultancy for Boston Scientific, outside of the submitted work. H.C.O. received a training fellowship from the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. D.M. reports speaker fees from Leo Pharma, BMS, and Pfizer. C.A. reports personal fees from Bayer, BMS/Pfizer, Daiichi-Sankyo, and Sanofi outside the submitted work. L.A.C. reports that her research institution has received honoraria from Bayer, BMS-Pfizer Alliance, The Academy for Continued Advancement in Healthcare Education, Amag Pharmaceutical, Leo Pharma, Sanofi, Valeo Pharma, and Servier. S.B. received consultancy and speaker fees from Bayer, Concept Medical, Boston Scientific, and Inari outside of the submitted work. M.D.N. reports personal fees from Bayer, Daiichi-Sankyo, BMS-Pfizer, Leo Pharma, and Viatris outside the submitted work. The remaining authors report no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Rare coagulation factor deficiencies and disorders of fibrinolysis (defined as rare bleeding disorders [RBDs]) present with a heterogeneous bleeding phenotype, and bleeding severity is difficult to predict., Objectives: Describe underlying rare genetic variants in the Dutch RBD population and investigate the relationship between genotype, laboratory phenotype, and clinical phenotype., Methods: The Rare Bleeding Disorders in the Netherlands is a cross-sectional, nationwide study conducted between October 1, 2017, and November 30, 2019. Bleeding scores and blood samples were collected during a single study visit. Coagulation factor levels were measured centrally, and targeted exome analysis was performed on 156 genes involved in thrombosis and hemostasis. Pathogenicity was assigned according to the Association for Clinical Genetic Science guidelines., Results: Rare genetic variants specific to the diagnosed RBD were found in 132 of 156 patients (85%). Of the 214 rare genetic variants identified, 57% ( n  = 123) were clearly pathogenic, 19% ( n  = 40) were likely pathogenic, and 24% ( n  = 51) were variants of unknown significance. No explanatory genetic variants were found in patients with plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 deficiency or hyperfibrinolysis. A correlation existed between factor activity levels and the presence of a genetic variant in the corresponding gene in patients with rare coagulation factor deficiencies and alpha-2-antiplasmin deficiency. Co-occurrence of multiple genetic variants was present in a quarter of patients, but effect on phenotype remains unclear., Conclusion: Targeted exome analysis may offer advantages over single-gene analysis, emphasized by a number of combined deficiencies in this study. Further studies are required to determine the role of co-occurring hemostasis gene variants on the bleeding phenotype in RBDs., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Background: The first wave of COVID led to an alarmingly high mortality rate among nursing home residents (NHRs). In hospitalised patients, the use of anticoagulants may be associated with a favourable prognosis. However, it is unknown whether the use of antithrombotic medication also protected NHRs from COVID-19-related mortality., Objectives: To investigate the effect of current antithrombotic therapy in NHRs with COVID-19 on 30-day all-cause mortality during the first COVID-19 wave., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study linking electronic health records and pharmacy data in NHRs with COVID-19. A propensity score was used to match NHRs with current use of therapeutic dose anticoagulants to NHRs not using anticoagulant medication. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality, which was evaluated using a logistic regression model. In a secondary analysis, multivariable logistic regression was performed in the complete study group to compare NHRs with current use of therapeutic dose anticoagulants and those with current use of antiplatelet therapy to those without such medication., Results: We included 3521 NHRs with COVID-19 based on a positive RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 or with a well-defined clinical suspicion of COVID-19. In the matched propensity score analysis, NHRs with current use of therapeutic dose anticoagulants had a significantly lower all-cause mortality (OR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.58-0.92) compared to NHRs who did not use therapeutic anticoagulants. In the secondary analysis, current use of therapeutic dose anticoagulants (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.48-0.82) and current use of antiplatelet therapy (OR 0.80; 95% CI: 0.64-0.99) were both associated with decreased mortality., Conclusions: During the first COVID-19 wave, therapeutic anticoagulation and antiplatelet use were associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality in NHRs. Whether these potentially protective effects are maintained in vaccinated patients or patients with other COVID-19 variants, remains unknown., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.)

Introduction: Patients with a first venous thromboembolism (VTE) are at risk of recurrence. Recurrent VTE (rVTE) can be prevented by extended anticoagulant therapy, but this comes at the cost of an increased risk of bleeding. It is still uncertain whether patients with an intermediate recurrence risk or with a high recurrence and high bleeding risk will benefit from extended anticoagulant treatment, and whether a strategy where anticoagulant duration is tailored on the predicted risks of rVTE and bleeding can improve outcomes. The aim of the Leiden Thrombosis Recurrence Risk Prevention (L-TRRiP) study is to evaluate the outcomes of tailored duration of long-term anticoagulant treatment based on individualised assessment of rVTE and major bleeding risks., Methods and Analysis: The L-TRRiP study is a multicentre, open-label, cohort-based, randomised controlled trial, including patients with a first VTE. We classify the risk of rVTE and major bleeding using the L-TRRiP and VTE-BLEED scores, respectively. After 3 months of anticoagulant therapy, patients with a low rVTE risk will discontinue anticoagulant treatment, patients with a high rVTE and low bleeding risk will continue anticoagulant treatment, whereas all other patients will be randomised to continue or discontinue anticoagulant treatment. All patients will be followed up for at least 2 years. Inclusion will continue until the randomised group consists of 608 patients; we estimate to include 1600 patients in total. The primary outcome is the combined incidence of rVTE and major bleeding in the randomised group after 2 years of follow-up. Secondary outcomes include the incidence of rVTE and major bleeding, functional outcomes, quality of life and cost-effectiveness in all patients., Ethics and Dissemination: The protocol was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee Leiden-Den Haag-Delft. Results are expected in 2028 and will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and during (inter)national conferences., Trial Registration Number: NCT06087952., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MC has received financial support for research from Bayer, CSL Behring, Roche, Novo Nordisk and UniQure and lees for lecturing or consultancy from Alexion, Bayer, CSL Behring, Daiichi Sankyo, Sobi and Viatris, all unrelated to the present work and paid to his institution. NvE has received a lecture fee from Bristol Myers Squibb, which was unrelated to this work and paid to his institution. JL reports grants or contracts from BMS-Pfizer, Viatris, AstraZeneca and Synapse, all unrelated to this work and paid to her institution. KM reports speaker fees from Alexion, Bayer and CSL Behring, participation in trial steering committees for Bayer and AstraZeneca, consulting fees from Uniqure, participation in data monitoring and endpoint adjudication committee for Octapharma. All payments are made to her institution. SM reports grants and personal fees from Daiichi-Sankyo, Bayer, Pfizer and Boehringer-Ingelheim, personal fees from Portola/Alexion, AbbVie, Pfizer/Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Norgine, Viatris and Sanofi, all paid to her institution and outside the submitted work. MVH reports grants from Dutch Heart Foundation, Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, Bayer Health Care, Pfizer-BMS Leo Pharma Boehringer-Ingelheim, all outside this work. FAK reports grants or contracts from Bayer, BMS, BSCI, MSD, Leo Pharma, Actelion, Farm-X, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, the Dutch Thrombosis Association, The Dutch Heart Foundation and the Horizon Europe Program, all unrelated to this work and paid to his institution. All others report no conflicts of interest related to this project., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Neutrophil released peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) converts arginine residues on plasma proteins into citrulline. Here, we developed an assay to quantify citrullinated fibrinogen. We employed a biotin-conjugated phenylglyoxal (biotin-phenylglyoxal (PG)) compound that selectively labels citrulline. Patient samples were derived from a multicenter prospective cohort study that aimed to identify cancer patients at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Our data show that cancer patients have higher (median 2-fold increased) citrullinated fibrinogen levels when compared to normal human plasma and a cohort of healthy donors. Our results show that citrullination of fibrinogen is a common posttranslational modification in patients with cancer., Competing Interests: None of the authors have conflict of interest to report., (© 2023 The Authors. eJHaem published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Guidelines recommend thromboprophylaxis for patients with cancer at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Polygenic risk scores may improve VTE prediction but have not yet been evaluated in patients with cancer., Objectives: We assessed the performance of the 5-, 37-, 297-, extended 297- (additionally including factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A), and 100-single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scores in predicting cancer-associated VTE in the UK Biobank, a population-based, prospective cohort study., Methods: The primary outcome was VTE during 12 months after cancer diagnosis. Cancer and VTE diagnosis were based on ICD-10 codes. Discrimination was evaluated by c-indices and subdistribution hazard ratios in the upper vs 3 lower quartiles of the scores in a competing risk model. As a comparison, the c-index was calculated for the Khorana cancer type risk classification., Results: Of 36 150 patients with cancer (median age, 66 years; 48.7% females), 1018 (2.8%) developed VTE. C-indices at 12 months ranged from 0.56 (95% CI, 0.54-0.58) for the 5-SNP to 0.60 (95% CI, 0.58-0.62) for the extended 297-SNP scores. The subdistribution hazard ratios ranged from 1.36 (95% CI, 1.19-1.56) for the 5-SNP to 1.90 (95% CI, 1.68-2.16) for the extended 297-SNP scores and were consistent after adjusting for cancer type. For the Khorana cancer type classification, the c-index was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.58-0.61), which increased to 0.65 (95% CI, 0.63-0.67, +0.05; 95% CI, 0.04-0.07) when combined with the extended 297-SNP score., Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that polygenic VTE risk scores can identify patients with cancer with a 1.9-fold higher VTE risk independent of cancer type. Combined clinical-genetic scores to improve cancer-associated VTE prediction should be evaluated further., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests N.A.M.G., F.I.M., A.H.Z., and B.F. have no conflicts of interest to declare. H.R.B. reports personal fees from Daiichi-Sankyo, Bayer Healthcare, BMS/Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Portola, Medscape, Eli Lilly, Sanofi Aventis, and Ionis. P.W.K. has received research grants from Daiichi Sankyo, Roche Diagnostics, and the Tergooi Academy. N.v.E. reports advisory board honoraria from Daiichi-Sankyo, Bayer, and LEO Pharma, which were transferred to his institute., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In patients clinically suspected of having pulmonary embolism (PE), physicians often rely on intuitive estimation ("gestalt") of PE presence. Although shown to be predictive, gestalt is criticized for its assumed variation across physicians and lack of standardization., Objectives: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of gestalt in the diagnosis of PE and gain insight into its possible variation., Methods: We performed an individual patient data meta-analysis including patients suspected of having PE. The primary outcome was diagnostic accuracy of gestalt for the diagnosis of PE, quantified as risk ratio (RR) between gestalt and PE based on 2-stage random-effect log-binomial meta-analysis regression as well as gestalts' sensitivity and specificity. The variability of these measures was explored across different health care settings, publication period, PE prevalence, patient subgroups (sex, heart failure, chronic lung disease, and items of the Wells score other than gestalt), and age., Results: We analyzed 20 770 patients suspected of having PE from 16 original studies. The prevalence of PE in patients with and without a positive gestalt was 28.8% vs 9.1%, respectively. The overall RR was 3.02 (95% CI, 2.35-3.87), and the overall sensitivity and specificity were 74% (95% CI, 68%-79%) and 61% (95% CI, 53%-68%), respectively. Although variation was observed across individual studies (I 2 , 90.63%), the diagnostic accuracy was consistent across all subgroups and health care settings., Conclusion: A positive gestalt was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of PE in suspected patients. Although variation was observed across studies, the RR of gestalt was similar across prespecified subgroups and health care settings, exemplifying its diagnostic value for all patients suspected of having PE., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests There are no competing interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite recent improvements in the treatment of cancer, little is known about the long-term survival in patients with cancer and venous thromboembolism. We aimed to examine the five-year mortality of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients in a large population-based cohort study., Methods: Using Danish healthcare registries from 1995 to 2020, we obtained data on cancer patients with venous thromboembolism and comparison cohorts of cancer patients without venous thromboembolism, matched in terms of cancer type, age, sex, and year of cancer diagnosis, and adjusted for level of comorbidity and frailty using the Charlson Comorbidity Index Score and Hospital Frailty Risk Score, marital status, use of selected medications, and recent surgery (<90 days)., Findings: During the study period, 886,536 patients were diagnosed with cancer. Of 1882 cancer patients diagnosed at the time of their venous thromboembolism, 44.4% (835/1882) had distant metastases. In this cohort, the one- and five-year mortality cumulative incidences were 68% (1284/1882) and 84% (1578/1882), respectively, in contrast to 38% (2135/5549) and 67% (3653/5549) in the comparison cohort. The mortality rate ratio was 4.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.95-4.78) for the first year of follow-up and 3.44 (95% CI 3.17-3.73) for the five-year follow-up period. Of the 23,366 patients diagnosed with venous thromboembolism after cancer diagnosis, 18% (4183/23,366) had distant metastases at the time of cancer diagnosis. The cumulative incidence of death at one year was 45% (10,465/23,366; mortality rate ratio 3.48, 95% CI 3.37-3.60) and at five years 69% (15,669/23,366; mortality rate ratio 2.57, 95% CI 2.50-2.63)., Interpretation: Despite improved cancer treatment, venous thromboembolism in cancer patients is strongly associated with a poor prognosis., Funding: The study was supported by grants from the Independent Research Fund Denmark (record no. 3101-00102B) and the Karen Elise Jensen Foundation., Competing Interests: The Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, receives funding for other studies from companies in the form of research grants to (and administered by) Aarhus University. None of these studies have any relation to the present study., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Aims: Risk stratification is used for decisions regarding need for imaging in patients with clinically suspected acute pulmonary embolism (PE). The aim was to develop a clinical prediction model that provides an individualized, accurate probability estimate for the presence of acute PE in patients with suspected disease based on readily available clinical items and D-dimer concentrations., Methods and Results: An individual patient data meta-analysis was performed based on sixteen cross-sectional or prospective studies with data from 28 305 adult patients with clinically suspected PE from various clinical settings, including primary care, emergency care, hospitalized and nursing home patients. A multilevel logistic regression model was built and validated including ten a priori defined objective candidate predictors to predict objectively confirmed PE at baseline or venous thromboembolism (VTE) during follow-up of 30 to 90 days. Multiple imputation was used for missing data. Backward elimination was performed with a P-value <0.10. Discrimination (c-statistic with 95% confidence intervals [CI] and prediction intervals [PI]) and calibration (outcome:expected [O:E] ratio and calibration plot) were evaluated based on internal-external cross-validation. The accuracy of the model was subsequently compared with algorithms based on the Wells score and D-dimer testing. The final model included age (in years), sex, previous VTE, recent surgery or immobilization, haemoptysis, cancer, clinical signs of deep vein thrombosis, inpatient status, D-dimer (in µg/L), and an interaction term between age and D-dimer. The pooled c-statistic was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.85-0.89; 95% PI, 0.77-0.93) and overall calibration was very good (pooled O:E ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.87-1.14; 95% PI, 0.55-1.79). The model slightly overestimated VTE probability in the lower range of estimated probabilities. Discrimination of the current model in the validation data sets was better than that of the Wells score combined with a D-dimer threshold based on age (c-statistic 0.73; 95% CI, 0.70-0.75) or structured clinical pretest probability (c-statistic 0.79; 95% CI, 0.76-0.81)., Conclusion: The present model provides an absolute, individualized probability of PE presence in a broad population of patients with suspected PE, with very good discrimination and calibration. Its clinical utility needs to be evaluated in a prospective management or impact study., Registration: PROSPERO ID 89366., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: We present an illustrative application of methods that account for covariates in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, using individual patient data on D-dimer testing for excluding pulmonary embolism., Study Design and Setting: Bayesian nonparametric covariate-specific ROC curves were constructed to examine the performance/positivity thresholds in covariate subgroups. Standard ROC curves were constructed. Three scenarios were outlined based on comparison between subgroups and standard ROC curve conclusion: (1) identical distribution/identical performance, (2) different distribution/identical performance, and (3) different distribution/different performance. Scenarios were illustrated using clinical covariates. Covariate-adjusted ROC curves were also constructed., Results: Age groups had prominent differences in D-dimer concentration, paired with differences in performance (Scenario 3). Different positivity thresholds were required to achieve the same level of sensitivity. D-dimer had identical performance, but different distributions for YEARS algorithm items (Scenario 2), and similar distributions for sex (Scenario 1). For the later covariates, comparable positivity thresholds achieved the same sensitivity. All covariate-adjusted models had AUCs comparable to the standard approach., Conclusion: Subgroup differences in performance and distribution of results can indicate that the conventional ROC curve is not a fair representation of test performance. Estimating conditional ROC curves can improve the ability to select thresholds with greater applicability., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest F.A.K. reports grants or contracts from Bayer, BMS, BSCI, MSD, Leo Pharma, Actelion, Pharm-X, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, The Dutch Thrombosis Association, The Dutch Heart Foundation and the Horizon Europe Program, all unrelated to this work and paid to his institution., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Over the past 20 years, there has been a shift from vitamin K antagonists to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), which include the thrombin inhibitor dabigatran and the factor Xa inhibitors apixaban, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban. Although DOACs are associated with less serious bleeding than vitamin K antagonists, bleeding still occurs with DOACs, particularly in the elderly and in those with comorbidities. Reversal of the anticoagulant effects of the DOACs may be needed in patients with serious bleeding and in those requiring urgent surgery or intervention. Reversal can be effected with specific agents, such as idarucizumab for dabigatran and andexanet alfa for apixaban, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban, or with non-specific agents, such as prothrombin complex concentrates, activated prothrombin complex concentrate, and recombinant activated factor VII. This paper (i) provides an update on when and how to reverse the DOACs, (ii) describes new reversal agents under development, and (iii) provides a strategic framework for the reversal of the factor XI inhibitors currently under investigation in phase three clinical trials., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest J.W. has received grant funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. He is a consultant for and received honoraria from Bayer, Alnylam, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi-Sankyo, Ionis, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, and Servier. N.v.E has received grant funding from the Dutch Thrombosis Foundation. He has received honoraria from Boehringer Ingelheim. R.d.C. is a consultant for and received honoraria from Bayer, Janssen–BMS, BMS–Pfizer Alliance, Daiichi-Sankyo, Menarini, Milestone, Portola, Guidotti, Novartis, Merck, Roche, and AstraZeneca. He has participated on the Advisory Board for Janssen–BMS., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: The incidence of superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) of the legs and the subsequent risk of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the post-partum period is unknown. To better understand the clinical course of SVT during these times, we aimed to estimate the incidence rate of SVT during pregnancy and in the post-partum period, as well as the risk of subsequent venous thromboembolism., Methods: In this nationwide cohort study, we collected data on all pregnant women who delivered between Jan 1, 1997, and Dec 31, 2017, in Denmark were extracted from the Danish Medical Birth Register, the Danish National Patient Registry, and the Danish National Prescription Registry. Data on ethnicity were not available. Incidence rates per 1000 person-years were calculated for each trimester and the antepartum and post-partum period. Among women with a pregnancy-related SVT, risk of subsequent venous thromboembolism within the same pregnancy or post-partum period were calculated and compared with a matched cohort of pregnant women without SVT using Cox proportional hazards analysis., Findings: During 1 276 046 deliveries, 710 diagnoses of lower extremity SVT occurred from conception up to 12 weeks postpartum (0·6 per 1000 person-years [95% CI 0·5-0·6]). The incidence rates of SVT per 1000 person-years were 0·1 (95% CI 0·1-0·2) during the during the first trimester, 0·2 (0·2-0·3) during the second trimester, and 0·5 (0·5-0·6) during the third trimester. The incidence rate was 1·6 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 1·4-1·7) during the post-partum period. Of the 211 women with antepartum SVT included in the analysis, 22 (10·4%) were diagnosed with venous thromboembolism, compared with 25 (0·1%) in women without SVT (hazard ratio 83·3 [95% CI 46·3-149·7])., Interpretation: The incidence rate of SVT during pregnancy and the post-partum period was low. However, if SVT during pregnancy was diagnosed, the risk of developing venous thromboembolism during the same pregnancy was high. These results might help physicians and patients to make decisions about anticoagulant management of pregnancy-related SVT., Funding: None., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests NvE reports advisory board fees from Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, and LEO Pharma, which were transferred to his institution, all outside of the submitted work. SM reports grants and personal fees from Bayer, BMS Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Portola, all during the conduct of the study; and personal fees from AbbVie and Sanofi, all outside the submitted work. The remaining authors declare no competing interests. The Department of Clinical Epidemiology receives funding for other studies from companies in the form of research grants to (and administered by) Aarhus University. None of these studies has any relation to the present study., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Platelet RNA sequencing has been shown to accurately detect cancer in previous studies., Objectives: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of platelet RNA sequencing with standard-of-care limited cancer screening in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE)., Methods: Patients aged ≥40 years with unprovoked VTE were recruited at 13 centers and followed for 12 months for cancer. Participants underwent standard-of-care limited cancer screening, and platelet RNA sequencing analysis was performed centrally at study end for cases and selected controls. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated, using the predefined primary positivity threshold of 0.54 for platelet RNA sequencing aiming at 86% test sensitivity, and an additional predefined threshold of 0.89 aiming at 99% test specificity., Results: A total of 476 participants were enrolled, of whom 25 (5.3%) were diagnosed with cancer during 12-month follow-up. For each cancer patient, 3 cancer-free patients were randomly selected for the analysis. The sensitivity of limited screening was 72% (95% CI, 52-86) at a specificity of 91% (95% CI, 82-95). The area under the receiver operator characteristic for platelet RNA sequencing was 0.54 (95% CI, 0.41-0.66). At the primary positivity threshold, all patients had a positive test, for a sensitivity estimated at 100% (95% CI, 87-99) and a specificity of 8% (95% CI, 3.7-16.4). At the secondary threshold, sensitivity was 68% (95% CI, 48-83; p value compared with limited screening 0.71) at a specificity of 36% (95% CI, 26-47)., Conclusion: Platelet RNA sequencing had poor diagnostic accuracy for detecting occult cancer in patients with unprovoked VTE with the current algorithm., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests N.K., F.I.M., N.A.G., M.t.W., H.-M.B.O., S.G.J.G.I.t.V., E.P., V.S.-L., K.Z., J.R., P.M.M.B., and E.P. report no conflicts of interest. M.C. has received research funding from BMS, Pfizer, and LEO Pharma. He has also received Honoria from Bayer, BMS, Pfizer, Servier, and LEO Pharma. A.D. has received research funding from BMS-Pfizer and Honoria from Bayer, BMS-Pfizer, Servier, and LEO Pharma. T.W. is an inventor on relevant patent applications, received funding from Illumina Inc, and is a shareholder of GRAIL, Inc. L.J.-P. has received research funding from LEO Pharma and MSD. He has also received honoraria from Bayer Hispania, Actelion, Pfizer, Rovi, LEO Pharma, Menarini, and MSD. P.W.K. has received research grants from Daiichi Sankyo and Roche Diagnostics M.D.N. has received research funding from LEO Pharma and honoraria and consultancy fees from Daiichi Sankyo, Bayer, BMS-Pfizer, Sanofi, and LEO Pharma outside the submitted work. M.G.B. is an inventor on relevant patent applications. W.A. has received research funding from Bayer and honoraria from Bayer, BMS-Pfizer, Aspen, Sanofi, Janssen, Werfen, LEO Pharma, and Portola. J.B.-W. has received research funding from Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, Pfizer, and Portola/Alexion. He has also received Honoria from Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, Pfizer, and Portola/Alexion. T.V. has served as a speaker and/or advisor for Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, BMS/Pfizer, Bayer, Sanofi, and LEO Pharma. F.A.K. has received research grants from Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, MSD, Daiichi Sankyo, Actelion, the Dutch thrombosis association, and the Dutch Heart foundation. B.C. has received speakers’ fees from Daiichi Sankyo and Sanofi. H.B. reports personal fees from Daiichi Sankyo, Bayer Healthcare, BMS/Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Portola, Medscape, Eli Lilly, Sanofi Aventis, and Ionis. N.v.E. has received advisory board honoraria from Daiichi Sankyo, Bayer, and LEO Pharma which were transferred to his institute., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Circulating procoagulant extracellular vesicles (EVs) are increased in diseases, such as cancer, sepsis, and COVID-19. EV tissue factor (TF) activity is associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation in sepsis and venous thrombosis in patients with pancreatic cancer and COVID-19. EVs are commonly isolated by centrifugation at ∼20,000 g., Objectives: In this study, we analyzed the TF activity of 2 EV populations enriched for large and small EVs in patients with either sepsis, pancreatic cancer, or COVID-19., Methods: EVs were isolated from plasma by sequential centrifugation at 20,000 g (large EVs, LEVs) and then 100,000 g (small EVs, SEVs). We analyzed EVs from plasma prepared from whole blood samples from healthy individuals with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation as well as EVs from plasma samples from patients with either sepsis, pancreatic cancer, or COVID-19. TF-dependent (EV-TF activity) and TF-independent factor Xa (FXa) generation of the EVs was measured., Results: LPS increased EV-TF activity in LEVs but not SEVs. Similarly, in 2 patients with sepsis who had EV-TF activity above the background of the assay we observed EV-TF activity in LEVs but not SEVs. Patients with pancreatic cancer or COVID-19 had circulating EV-TF activity in both LEVs and SEVs., Conclusion: We recommend that EVs are isolated from plasma from patients by centrifugation at 100,000 g rather than 20,000 g to obtain a more accurate measure of levels of circulating EV-TF activity., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent complication in patients with ovarian cancer after major surgery. Based on limited data, international guidelines recommend extended thromboprophylaxis for up to 28 days., Objectives: To assess the incidence of VTE and bleeding within 30 days following major surgery in patients with ovarian cancer and to evaluate the association between VTE and thromboprophylaxis duration., Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, "before-after" cohort study in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing major surgery. Before July 2019, the local protocol mandated a standard course of thromboprophylaxis during hospital stay only. From July 2019 onward, patients received extended thromboprophylaxis for 28 days. The cumulative incidences of VTE and major bleeding within 30 days after surgery were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between thromboprophylaxis duration and VTE incidence., Results: Between January 2018 and December 2020, 250 women were included, of which 118 (47.2%) received extended and 132 (52.8%) standard thromboprophylaxis. During follow-up, 12 patients developed VTE (cumulative incidence, 4.8%; 95% CI, 2.1-7.4) and 2 major bleeding (cumulative incidence 0.8%; 95% CI, 0.0-1.9). Compared with standard thromboprophylaxis, VTE incidence was numerically lower with extended duration of thromboprophylaxis (5/118 [4.2%] vs 7/132 [5.3%]) but not significantly different (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.25-2.52). The risk of major bleeding was similar in both groups (1/118 [0.8%] vs 1/132 [0.8%]; hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.07-17.89)., Conclusions: The cumulative VTE incidence in patients with ovarian cancer following major surgery was considerable. Extended thromboprophylaxis was safe and associated with a numerically lower risk of VTE but not significantly different., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests H.M.G.W., M.S., N.A.M.G., H.S.Z., F.I.M., and C.H.M. have no competing interests to disclose. N.v.E. received advisory board fees from Bayer, Daiichi Sankyo, and LEO Pharma, which were transferred to his institution, all outside the submitted work. S.A.M. received grants and personal fees from Bayer, BMS Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, and Portola during the study period; private fees from Abbvie and Sanofi were received outside the submitted work., (Copyright © 2022 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the recent years, numerous studies on the optimal treatment and prevention of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) have been published, leading to updated (inter)national guidelines. These include direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) as the first-line treatment agent in general and the recommendation of primary thromboprophylaxis in selected ambulatory patients., Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical practice regarding treatment and prevention of VTE in patients with cancer in the Netherlands and practice variation among different specialties., Methods: An online survey was conducted between December 2021, and June 2022, among Dutch physicians (oncologists, hematologists, vascular medicine specialists, acute internal medicine specialists, and pulmonologists) treating patients with cancer, in which we explored the treatment of choice for cancer-associated VTE, the use of VTE risk stratification tools, and primary thromboprophylaxis., Results: A total of 222 physicians participated, of whom the majority (81%) used DOACs as a first-line agent for treating cancer-associated VTE. The treatment varied between the following specialties: hematologists and acute internal medicine specialists more often prescribed low-molecular-weight heparin than physicians of the other specialties (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13-0.80). The minimum duration of anticoagulant treatment was usually 3 to 6 months (87%), and treatment was extended when the malignancy was still active (98%). Regarding the prevention of cancer-associated VTE, no risk stratification tool was used. Three quarters of respondents never prescribed thromboprophylaxis to ambulatory patients, mostly because the thrombosis risk was not perceived high enough to justify prophylaxis., Conclusion: Dutch physicians largely adhere to the updated guidelines regarding the treatment of cancer-associated VTE but less to the recommendations for its prevention., (© 2023 The Authors.)