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The management of dilutional coagulopathy due to fluid infusion and massive blood loss is a topic that deserves a biochemical approach. In this review article, we provide an overview of current guidelines and recommendations on diagnosis and on management of transfusion in acquired coagulopathy. We discuss the biochemical differences between kinetic clotting assays (clotting times) and new capacitive coagulation measurements that provide time-dependent information an thrombin generation and fibrin clot formation. The available evidence suggests that a combination of assay types is required for evaluating new transfusion protocols aimed to optimize hemostasis and stop bleeding. Although there is current consensus on the application of fresh frozen plasma to revert coagulopathy, factor concentrates may appear to be useful in the future.

Item does not contain fulltext BACKGROUND: Bleeding upon major surgery or severe trauma is treated by transfusion with crystalloids, colloids, or plasma. This treatment, however, can lead to dilutional coagulopathy and impaired hemostasis. We investigated the suitability of two integrative coagulation tests to measure the hemostatic activity of diluted plasma. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Plasma from healthy donors was diluted in vitro with saline or colloid (venofundin or gelofusin). Coagulant activity in response to tissue factor was monitored by calibrated automated thrombin (CAT) generation and rotational thromboelastography (TEG), detecting formation of elastic fibrin clots. Plasma from patients receiving fluid infusion during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was analyzed with the same assays. RESULTS: Optimal activity of CAT and TEG assays required the presence of 10 pmol per L tissue factor and 4 micromol per L phospholipid vesicles or 100 x 10(9) platelets (PLTs) per L. Strikingly, thrombin generation and clot formation became impaired at a higher extent of dilution with PLTs present (< or =40% plasma) than with phospholipid vesicles present (< or =60% plasma). Colloids aggravated the dilution effect on clot formation, but FFP antagonized the dilution effect on thrombin and clot formation. In contrast, fibrinogen and Factor (F)XIII only restored the impaired clot formation. In plasma samples from patients undergoing CABG, CAT and TEG assay variables were altered to an extent corresponding with the volume of fluid infusion. CONCLUSION: Thrombin generation and clot formation are reduced at a plasma dilution of more than 40 percent. In either process, PLTs can partly compensate for the dilution effect. In vitro dilution with colloids impaired fibrin clot elasticity compared to saline.

Metabolic studies have revealed a gradual impairment in platelet integrity during storage, a process termed the platelet storage lesion. Recent evidence shows that stored platelets also lose signaling responses to physiological agonists with impaired integrin activation, secretion, and aggregation of the cells. On the other hand, storage leads to a gain in platelet activation properties, such as release of microparticles and appearance of surface epitopes for their clearance by macrophages. New techniques for measuring flow-induced thrombus formation and platelet-dependent coagulation provide evidence that the hemostatic activity of platelets decreases during storage. Besides pharmacological inhibition, novel storage strategies, like metabolic suppression, should be considered to better preserve platelet functionality while limiting the expression of clearance markers. Understanding the changes that occur in association with the platelet storage lesion and the use of updated storage methods will help to generate platelets for transfusion with optimal hemostatic function and a long circulation time after transfusion.

BACKGROUND: Circulating PLTs have a low activation state and high responsiveness, which ensures adequate hemostatic activity at sites of vessel wall damage. PLTs collected for transfusion purposes preferably have retained these properties to restore impaired hemostasis with thrombocytopenia. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We determined activation properties and coagulant activity of PLT-plasma preparations that were pooled or collected from single donors via apheresis. RESULTS: In comparison to freshly isolated PLTs, both apheresis and pooled PLTs exhibited slow exposure of CD62 upon storage, followed by surface appearance of procoagulant phosphatidylserine (PS) but not activated integrin αIIbβ3. During storage, thrombin- and ADP-induced Ca2+ signal generation consistently decreased in apheresis and pooled PLTs, which was accompanied by lower agonist-induced CD62 exposure and αIIbβ3 acti-vation. In flowing whole blood, stored apheresis PLTs showed lower collagen-induced Ca2+ responses and strikingly diminished participation in thrombus formation. Both apheresis and pooled PLT-plasma concentrates exhibited high tissue factor-triggered thrombin generation, which was insensitive to PLT inhibition and attributable to PS-exposing microparticles. CONCLUSION: PLTs stored in plasma develop surface activation markers but, simultaneously, show markedly decreased responsiveness toward physiologic agonists. The plasma contains high coagulant activity, which is no longer PLT (activation)-dependent.

Summary. In 56 women with a lymph-node-positive breast carcinoma and 28 matched healthy control subjects, the sensitivity to activated protein C (APC-sr) was determined with an APC resistance test that quantifies the effect of APC on thrombin generation initiated via the extrinsic coagulation pathway. Carriers of the Factor V Leiden mutation were excluded from the study. Significant resistance to APC was found in the breast cancer patients: median APC-sr 2·02 vs 1·03 in the healthy control subjects (P

Summary. The duration of anticoagulant treatment after a first episode of venous thromboembolism primarily depends on the risk of recurrence. Variability of recurrence rates in factor (F) V Leiden carriers may be due to concomitant thrombophilic disorders. A retrospective study was performed in 329 FV Leiden carriers with a history of venous thromboembolism (262 probands, 67 relatives). The annual rate of first recurrence was estimated in relatives. The contribution of concomitant thrombophilic disorders to the recurrence rate was evaluated in probands and relatives by a nested case–control analysis in 105 matched pairs of carriers either with or without recurrence. The overall annual recurrence rate was 2·3 per 100 patient–years. The adjusted risk of recurrence for concomitant thrombophilic disorders was: 9·1 (1·3–62·8) for the FII mutation; 1·0 (0·2–4·9) for homozygosity for FV Leiden; 1·5 (0·2–9·5) for inherited deficiencies of protein C or S; 1·8 (0·7–4·9) for FVIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C) levels > 122%; 5·4 (1·6–18·6) for fasting homocysteine levels > 15·2 µmol/l; and 4·4 (1·0–18·7) for loading homocysteine levels > 45·8 µmol/l. Of these disorders, only the FII mutation and hyperhomocysteinaemia significantly increased the risk of recurrence in FV Leiden carriers. The estimated recurrence rate ranged from 0·45 per 100 patient–years after a secondary first event in the absence of concomitant disorders to 4·8 per 100 patient–years when a spontaneous first event was combined with concomitant disorders. Our study provides supportive evidence that the incidence of recurrent venous thromboembolism in heterozygous FV Leiden carriers depends on the concomitance of other thrombophilic disorders, in addition to whether the first thrombotic event occurred spontaneously.

Abstract 2514 The overall short term effectivity of Rituximab in the treatment of ITP is reported to be around 50%. In most studies the traditional CD20 dosing scheme of 4 weekly interspaced 375 mg/m2 doses is used although other single-arm studies suggest comparable effectivity of lower doses. To investigate alternative dosing schemes, we conducted an open label phase II multicenter trial and randomized 156 ITP patients that were refractory for corticosteroid treatment, between three schemes. Questions were: are higher CD20 peak levels of value and is dose saving a feasible approach in early responding patients? The treatment arms were: A) 375 mg/m2 once a week for 4 weeks, B) 750 mg/m2 once a week for 2 weeks and C) 375 mg/m2 once a week for 2 weeks, in early and sustained responding patients (= within 15 days and still responding at 43 days) and another 2 × 375 mg/m2 to patients not fulfilling these criteria. In retrospect, seven of the 156 patients appeared ineligible at randomization and were therefore excluded from all analyses. Here we report on the best response within 71 days as primary end point for the first 105 patients that were included, i.e. 35 per treatment arm Arm A (n=35) 4 × 375 mg/m2 Arm B (n=35) 2 × 750 mg/m2 Arm C (n=35) 2 or 4 × 375 mg/m2 Patient characteristics Male/female, % 37/63 49/51 43/57 WHO 0/1/2/not reported, % 86/6/–/9. 77/20/3/– 91/9/–/– Age in years, median (range) 56 (19–77) 56 (17–82) 41 (18–80) On stable corticosteroid, % 36 29 46 Splenectomized, % – 15 11 Baseline plt count × 109/l, median (range) 16 (3–31) 15 (1–30) 19 (2–30) Treatment outcome, % Early responses in Arm C 26 All best responses within 71d 46 42 51 CR: >150 × 109 plt/l 20 14 14 GR: >50 × 109 plt/l 20 14 23 MR: >30 × 109 plt/l AND >2 × baseline 6 14 14 No response 54 58 49 Treatment failure at 6 months, % (standard error) 57 (8) 60 (8) 54 (9) So far, on the basis of the within 71 days overall response data, no superior dosing scheme of CD20 can yet be discerned. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Contains fulltext : 69751.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) In a clinical setting, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is transfused to diluted patients with complicated surgery or trauma, as guided by prolonged conventional coagulation times or low fibrinogen levels. However, the limited sensitivity of these coagulation tests may restrict their use in measuring the effect of transfusion and hence predicting the risk of perioperative bleeding. We used the more sensitive, calibrated automated thrombogram (CAT) method to evaluate the result of therapeutic FFP transfusion to 51 patients with dilutional coagulopathy. Thrombin generation was measured in pre- and post-transfusion plasma samples in the presence of either platelets or phospholipids. For all patients, the transfusion led to higher plasma coagulation factor levels, a shortened activated partial thromboplastin time, and a significant increase in thrombin generation (peak height and endogenous thrombin potential). Interestingly, thrombin generation parameters and fibrinogen levels were higher in post-transfusion plasmas from patients who stopped bleeding (n = 32) than for patients with ongoing bleeding (n = 19). Plasmas from 15 of the 19 patients with ongoing bleeding were markedly low in either thrombin generation or fibrinogen level. We conclude that the thrombin generation method detects improved haemostatic activity after plasma transfusion. Furthermore, the data suggest that thrombin generation and fibrinogen are independent determinants of the risk of perioperative bleeding in this patient group.

Currently, patients developing severe thrombocytopenia during chemotherapy treatment are prophylactically transfused with platelets. We developed two platelet function tests to report the improved haemostasis in the transfused patients, which were capable of detecting aberrant responsiveness of the platelets after transfusion. First, in a whole-blood flow test, platelet adhesion and thrombus formation were determined under high-shear flow conditions. Second, the procoagulant function of platelets was assayed in platelet-rich plasma by measurement of thrombin generation. Experimental conditions were established, where flow-induced adhesion and thrombin generation test parameters increased semi-linearly with the platelet concentration, and informed on the activation properties of platelets. The transfusion effects were evaluated for 38 thrombocytopenic patients, who were transfused with platelets stored in plasma or in synthetic medium (platelet additive solution II). In most but not all patients, transfusion resulted in increased adhesion and thrombus formation, as well as in improved platelet-dependent coagulation. Taken together, the increase in platelet count after transfusion explained 57% of the overall improvement in platelet function. In acute graft-versus-host disease, thrombus formation was normal, while platelet-dependent coagulation was higher than expected. We conclude that assessment of flow-induced adhesion and thrombin generation in acquired thrombocytopenia adequately determines the improved haemostatic activity by transfused platelets.

Circulating PLTs have a low activation state and high responsiveness, which ensures adequate hemostatic activity at sites of vessel wall damage. PLTs collected for transfusion purposes preferably have retained these properties to restore impaired hemostasis with thrombocytopenia.We determined activation properties and coagulant activity of PLT-plasma preparations that were pooled or collected from single donors via apheresis.In comparison to freshly isolated PLTs, both apheresis and pooled PLTs exhibited slow exposure of CD62 upon storage, followed by surface appearance of procoagulant phosphatidylserine (PS) but not activated integrin alpha IIb beta 3. During storage, thrombin- and ADP-induced Ca2+ signal generation consistently decreased in apheresis and pooled PLTs, which was accompanied by lower agonist-induced CD62 exposure and alpha IIb beta 3 activation. In flowing whole blood, stored apheresis PLTs showed lower collagen-induced Ca2+ responses and strikingly diminished participation in thrombus formation. Both apheresis and pooled PLT-plasma concentrates exhibited high tissue factor-triggered thrombin generation, which was insensitive to PLT inhibition and attributable to PS-exposing microparticles.PLTs stored in plasma develop surface activation markers but, simultaneously, show markedly decreased responsiveness toward physiologic agonists. The plasma contains high coagulant activity, which is no longer PLT (activation)-dependent.

Activated platelets are implicated in the development of premature arterial vascular diseases, in particular ischemic stroke. Since elevated cytosolic [Ca(2+)](i) is an integrative marker of platelet activation, we determined the generation of Ca(2+) signal in stimulated platelets from 26 young patients recuperating from stroke, 20 patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease, and 56 healthy volunteers. Even in the presence of aspirin, the platelets from various individuals showed highly different thrombin-induced Ca(2+) responses. On average, the thrombin-induced Ca(2+) response was increased for platelets from either patient group in comparison to the controls (P0.04). Relatively more stroke patients had high-responsive platelets (27%, 7/26) than patients with peripheral arterial disease (10%, 2/20) or healthy subjects (4%, 2/56). The average prothrombinase activities of platelets from patients and controls were similar, but 3 out of 6 patients with increased thrombin-induced Ca(2+) responses also exhibited high prothrombinase activity. In a follow-up study, the subject-dependent thrombin-induced Ca(2+) response was found to correlate strongly with the platelet response to protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) agonist (r = 0.91), but was not linked to the Pl(A1/2) polymorphism. It is concluded that a significant part of young patients with stroke have platelets with hyperactivity toward thrombin, which is not normalised by aspirin treatment. Furthermore, the subject-dependent variation in thrombin-induced signalling is likely to involve PAR1-mediated platelet activation.

In 56 women with a lymph-node-positive breast carcinoma and 28 matched healthy control subjects, the sensitivity to activated protein C (APC-sr) was determined with an APC resistance test that quantifies the effect of APC on thrombin generation initiated via the extrinsic coagulation pathway. Carriers of the Factor V Leiden mutation were excluded from the study. Significant resistance to APC was found in the breast cancer patients: median APC-sr 2.02 vs 1.03 in the healthy control subjects (P0.001). No difference in APC-sr was found between patients with metastases and without metastases. In patients with metastases, protein S levels were significantly elevated compared with patients without metastases and healthy control subjects: 108.0%vs 96.0% and 94.5% (P = 0.008 and P = 0.007). The APC-sr correlated with protein S in the control subjects and in patients without metastases but not in patients with metastases. The disturbance of the haemostatic balance probed by the tissue-factor-based APC resistance test might contribute to the cancer-related hypercoagulability.

The clinical expression of factor V Leiden varies widely within and between families and only a minority of carriers will ever develop venous thromboembolism. Co-segregation of thrombophilic disorders is a possible explanation. Our aim was to assess the contributions of high levels of factor VIII:C, factor XI:C, thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) to the risk of venous thromboembolism in factor V Leiden carriers.Levels of the four proteins were measured, in addition to tests of deficiencies for antithrombin, protein C and protein S, and the prothrombin G20210A mutation, in 153 factor V Leiden carriers, derived from a family cohort study. The (adjusted) relative risk and absolute risk of venous thromboembolism for high levels of each protein were calculated.Of carriers, 60% had one or more concomitant thrombophilic disorders. Crude odds ratios (95% CI) of venous thromboembolism for high protein levels were: 3.2 (1.1-9.3) (factor VIII:C); 1.7 (0.6-4.9) (factor XI:C); 3.0 (1.1-8.2) (TAFI); and 1.9 (0.7-5.7) (Lp(a)). Adjusted for age, sex, other concomitant thrombophilic disorders and exogenous risk factors, the odds ratio for venous thromboembolism were 2.7 (0.8-8.7) for high factor VIII:C levels and 1.8 (0.6-5.3) for high TAFI levels. Annual incidences in subgroups of carriers were 0.35% (0.09-0.89), 0.44% (0.05-1.57) and 0.94% (0.35-2.05) for concomitance of high levels of factor VIII:C, TAFI and both, respectively, as compared to 0.09% (0.00-0.48) in single factor V Leiden carriers and 1.11% (0.30-2.82) for other concomitant disorders.High levels of factor VIII:C and TAFI, in contrast with factor XI:C and Lp(a), are mild risk factors for venous thromboembolism, and substantially contribute to the risk of venous thromboembolism in factor V Leiden carriers. Our data support the hypothesis that the clinical expression of factor V Leiden depends on co-segregation of thrombophilic disorders.

The duration of anticoagulant treatment after a first episode of venous thromboembolism primarily depends on the risk of recurrence. Variability of recurrence rates in factor (F) V Leiden carriers may be due to concomitant thrombophilic disorders. A retrospective study was performed in 329 FV Leiden carriers with a history of venous thromboembolism (262 probands, 67 relatives). The annual rate of first recurrence was estimated in relatives. The contribution of concomitant thrombophilic disorders to the recurrence rate was evaluated in probands and relatives by a nested case--control analysis in 105 matched pairs of carriers either with or without recurrence. The overall annual recurrence rate was 2.3 per 100 patient-years. The adjusted risk of recurrence for concomitant thrombophilic disorders was: 9.1 (1.3-62.8) for the FII mutation; 1.0 (0.2-4.9) for homozygosity for FV Leiden; 1.5 (0.2-9.5) for inherited deficiencies of protein C or S; 1.8 (0.7-4.9) for FVIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C) levels122%; 5.4 (1.6-18.6) for fasting homocysteine levels15.2 micromol/l; and 4.4 (1.0-18.7) for loading homocysteine levels45.8 micromol/l. Of these disorders, only the FII mutation and hyperhomocysteinaemia significantly increased the risk of recurrence in FV Leiden carriers. The estimated recurrence rate ranged from 0.45 per 100 patient--years after a secondary first event in the absence of concomitant disorders to 4.8 per 100 patient-years when a spontaneous first event was combined with concomitant disorders. Our study provides supportive evidence that the incidence of recurrent venous thromboembolism in heterozygous FV Leiden carriers depends on the concomitance of other thrombophilic disorders, in addition to whether the first thrombotic event occurred spontaneously.

Patients developing severe thrombocytopenia during chemotherapy treatment are prophylactically transfused with platelets. Two novel methods were developed for measuring improved hemostasis in thrombocytopenic patients and to identify patients with aberrant responsiveness. In whole blood, platelet adhesion and thrombus formation on collagen was measured under flow. In platelet-rich plasma, platelet-dependent coagulation was assayed by automated measurement of thrombin generation. Thirty-eight thrombocytopenic patients were transfused with platelets stored in plasma or synthetic medium (PASII), and the transfusion effect on hemostatic activity was evaluated. Experimental conditions were established, where the outcome of flow and thrombin generation tests linearly increased with the platelet concentration (R2=0.98, p=0.001 and R2=0.98, p=0.008 respectively), and informed on the activation properties of platelets. In 35 out of 38 patients, transfusion with platelets in plasma or synthetic medium resulted in increased adhesion and thrombus formation under flow, and in increased platelet-dependent coagulation. The increase in platelet count after transfusion predicted 57% (P=0.001) of the improvement in function. Transfusion with platelets in plasma or synthetic medium increased the hemostatic activity with 0.63±0.30% and 0.68±0.48%, as determined with either platelet function test, with subtle differences between the two storage media. In acute graft-versus-host-disease, platelet-dependent coagulation was higher than in other patients, while thrombus formation was normal. In conclusion, altered thrombus formation and/or aberrant coagulation at low platelet counts can be detected with these novel developed and validated techniques.

Platelet activation by potent calcium-mobilizing agents, like collagen and thrombin or ionomycin, results in Ca2+- and calpain-dependent shedding of microparticles (MP) that are active in coagulation. Here, we describe and characterize a different mechanism of MP formation by platelets under storage in the absence of agonists. This shedding relies on integrin αIIbβ3 activity, since clinically used integrin blockers, like tirofiban or abciximab, reduce storage-induced MP shedding by 83±5.7% (p=0.006); inhibition of intracellular integrin signaling via Src kinase (PP1) or phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI-3 kinase, wortmannin) inhibits this process by 52.3±14.3% (p=0.035) and 39±7% (p=0.005), respectively. Calpain inhibition suppresses MP formation by only 35±3.8% (p=0.003), while calpain activity is also not increased during storage. Levels of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration remain at 25–30 nM in the stored platelets. Treatment of platelets with recombinant WASP (Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein) peptide, activating the Arp2/3 complex and promoting actin nucleation, affects storage-induced MP shedding (p=0.001). Rho and Rac1, belonging to the family of Rho GTP-binding proteins, are involved in actin cytoskeleton regulation and platelet spreading. However, these GTP-binding proteins do not seem to be involved in MP shedding, as treatment of platelets with recombinant Rac1 peptide or with Rho kinase inhibitor is ineffective, as in the absence of these GTP-binding proteins. Furthermore, incubation of platelets with cytochalasin D, latrunculin B or jasplakinolide, which compounds affect actin filament polymerization, increases the amount of procoagulant MP (p

Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) has been developed for treatment of inhibitor-complicated hemophilia. Increasing clinical evidence shows that rFVIIa also appears safe and effective as pro-hemostatic agent in various other clinical disorders including patients with thrombocytopenia. Relatively little is known about the mechanism of action of rFVIIa in hemophilia and its various other potential indications. It is generally accepted that rFVIIa functions by enhancement of thrombin generation at the site of injury. It is, however, unknown if and how this affects platelet adhesion and aggregation. Previously, we have shown that rFVIIa-mediated thrombin generation substantially enhances deposition of platelets from patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia (a qualitative or quantitative deficiency of the integrin αIIbβ3) to subendothelial proteins (Blood2004, 103: 1720). Here, we investigated the effect of rFVIIa-mediated thrombin generation on platelet adhesion and aggregation under flow conditions at normal and reduced platelet count. A mixture of washed platelet and red cells was perfused over collagen or fibrinogen in presence or absence of a thrombin-generating system consisting of purified coagulation factors rFVIIa, X, and prothrombin in the presence of calcium chloride. Addition of this thrombin-generating system enhanced platelet adhesion and aggregation to collagen and adhesion and spreading to fibrinogen at normal platelet count and at platelet numbers as low as 10.000/μl. rFVIIa-mediated thrombin generation enhanced the activation state of platelets adhered under flow as measured by intracellular calcium fluxes, and enhanced the exposure of procoagulant phospholipids as measured by annexin A5 binding. It was shown that FITC-labeled rFVIIa bound to collagen-adhered platelets under flow conditions in experiments in which whole blood from severely thrombocytopenic patients was used. We believe thrombin is generated by platelet-bound rFVIIa independent of tissue factor. Taken together, increased platelet adhesion and aggregation by rFVIIa-mediated thrombin formation may explain the therapeutic effects of rFVIIa in thrombocytopenic conditions and in patients with a normal platelet count by (1) enhancement of primary hemostasis and (2) enhancement of procoagulant surface leading to elevated fibrin formation. These platelet-promoting effects of rFVIIa might also, in part, explain the therapeutic effects of rFVIIa in other indications.

Background: The factor V Leiden mutation is a common genetic defect associated with an increased risk for venous thromboembolism. The clinical implications for asymptomatic carriers of this mutation and, consequently, the usefulness of screening families in which a proband has both the mutation and venous thrombo embolism are unclear. Objective: To determine the incidence of venous thromboembolism in asymptomatic carriers of the factor V Leiden mutation. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: University hospitals in the Netherlands. Participants: 470 asymptomatic carriers of the factor V Leiden mutation (234 men, 236 women; mean age, 43 years [range, 15 to 88 years]), 12 of whom were homozygous. Carriers were identified by screening the first-degree relatives (>15 years of age) of 247 symptomatic probands. Measurements: Objectively diagnosed episodes of venous thromboembolism and the relationship between incidence and exposure to high-risk situations. Results: Nine venous thromboembolic events were observed in 1564 observation-years, resulting in an annual incidence of 0.58% (95% CI, 0.26% to 1.10%). The incidence of spontaneous venous thromboembolism was 0.26% (CI, 0.07% to 0.65%) per year; 3.5% (CI, 0.1% to 17.8%) per episode of surgery, trauma, or immobilization; 0.0% (CI, 0.0% to 19.5%) per pregnancy; 1.8% (CI, 0.4% to 5.2%) per year of oral contraceptive use; and 2.9% (CI, 0.8% to 15.3%) per year of use of hormone replacement therapy. Conclusions: The absolute annual incidence of spontaneous venous thromboembolism in asymptomatic carriers of the factor V Leiden mutation is low and does not justify routine screening of the families of symptomatic patients.