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In contrast with extensive information on the management of deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities, little is known on the most appropriate treatment of the superficial vein thrombosis (SVT). In a multicenter, prospective, controlled, double-blind, double-dummy clinical trial, 164 consecutive patients with acute SVT of the great saphenous vein were randomized to receive the s.c. administration of either fixed prophylactic doses (2850 a-Xa IU) or body-weight adjusted therapeutic doses of nadroparin once daily for 1 month. The main study outcome was to compare the rate of asymptomatic and symptomatic extension of SVT and/or venous thromboembolic (VTE) complications during a 3-month follow-up period. Of the 81 patients randomized to the prophylactic doses, seven [8.6%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.5-17.0] developed SVT progression or VTE complications as compared with six of the 83 (7.2%; 95% CI, 2.8-15.1) allocated to the treatment group (absolute difference, 1.4; 96% CI, -6.9 to 9.7; P = 0.74). No patient in either group developed major bleeding. Our findings suggest that therapeutic doses of low-molecular-weight heparin, administered for 1 month in patients with SVT of the greater saphenous vein do not improve results obtained by prophylactic doses, administered for the same period, over a 3-month follow-up period.

Heterozygous in frame trinucleotide duplications within the PHOX2B gene, leading to poly-alanine expansions, cause Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome. Here we report about a CCHS patient, carrying a +13Ala PHOX2B expansion, whose asymptomatic mother resulted with a low level of mosaicism for the same mutation in peripheral blood cells. Her second pregnancy ended with the spontaneous miscarriage of a fetus who had inherited the PHOX2B mutation, thus confirming germline mosaicism in the mother and the need of proper genetic counseling to CCHS families.

Background-Patients with venous thromboembolism require initial treatment with an immediate-acting anticoagulant, low-molecular-weight heparin. We evaluated a novel synthetic factor Xa inhibitor (SR90107a/ORG31540) as an alternative treatment. Methods and Results-A randomized-parallel-group, phase II trial to assess the efficacy and safety of SR90107a/ORG31540 (5, 7.5, or 10 mg once daily) relative to low-molecular-weight heparin (dalteparin, 100 IU/kg twice daily) in symptomatic proximal deep vein thrombosis. The primary outcome measure was the change in thrombus mass, assessed by ultrasonography of the leg veins and perfusion lung scintigraphy, performed at baseline and day 7+/-1. A positive outcome was defined as improvement of the ultrasound and/or perfusion scan result without deterioration of either test. Other outcome measures included symptomatic, recurrent venous thromboembolism and major bleeding for a period of 3 months. All outcomes were interpreted with the observer unaware of treatment allocation. A positive primary outcome was observed in 46 of 100 (46%), 52 of 108 (48%), 48 of 115 (42%), and 56 of 115 (49%), respectively, of the subjects given 5, 7.5, or 10 mg SR90107a/ORG31540 or dalteparin. There were 8 recurrent thromboembolic complications (2.4%) in the 334 patients treated with SR90107a/ORG31540 and 6 (5.0%) in the 119 dalteparin patients, a difference of 2.6% in favor of SR90107a/ORG31540 (95% CI -2.1% to 10.1%). The incidence of bleeding was low and was similar among the groups. Conclusions-The factor Xa inhibitor SR90107a/ORG31540 appears to be an effective and safe treatment for patients with deep vein thrombosis across a wide range of doses. This synthetic compound merits evaluation in phase III studies.

The thrombophilic state may be defined as a condition which predisposes to thrombosis. It is well know that the pathogenesis of venous and arterial thrombosis may be different. However, such differences may be more apparent than real. In fact, both venous and arterial thrombosis may occur in any given patient with a thrombophilic state. The aim of this review is to critically analyze the thrombophilic state and define a rational approach to the patient with overt or suspected venous and/or arterial thrombosis.The material examined in the present review includes personal papers in this field, and articles and abstracts published in journals covered by the Science Citation Index.Both venous and arterial thrombosis may occur in thrombophilic states such as APC resistance, protein C or S defects, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Venous thrombosis is surely more frequent than arterial thrombosis in such conditions but, fortunately, it is usually less severe. Antithrombin deficiency is almost exclusively associated with venous thrombosis. In foreseeing the occurrence of venous or arterial thrombosis in a given thrombophilic patient, one must explore the state of the vessels carefully. Often venous or arterial thrombosis occurs only because a vessel injury is present. Severely decreased blood flow, such as that seen in policythemia vera, may be responsible for arterial or venous thrombosis without any other predisposing cause. From a laboratory stand point there is no sure demonstration that some changes may indicate a more likely occurrence of arterial or venous thrombosis. The same alteration of one or more than one test may be accompanied by either arterial or venous thrombosis or both. One exception to this rule is represented by increased blood viscosity, which is usually associated with arterial thrombosis. The hypercoagulable or thrombophilic state is a single clinical entity that cannot be divided into arterial and venous thrombophilia, although the unfortunate outcome, namely thrombosis, tends to manifest itself in just one district. The preexisting condition of the vessels, together with sudden triggering factors, plays an important role in the transformation of the "sol" into the "gel" that is a thrombosis in any given district.

Tissue thromboplastin inhibition assay (TTI) is a sensitive test for lupus anticoagulant (LA). We have performed TTI in 12 LA positive patients using a new recombinant human tissue factor (Innovin, IN) and compared it with Thromborel S (TH), a commonly used human placenta thromboplastin. The effect of using two different dilutions of each thromboplastin (1:101:26) was investigated. A 1:26 dilution discriminated better than the 1:10 and this was more evident for Innovin. The mean value obtained with a 1:26 IN dilution was statistically different from that observed with TH at the same dilution. Furthermore, when PT and TTI ratios were considered, differences were statistically significant and seemed to increase depending on thromboplastin dilutions. When we used IN at 1:26 all LA positive patients had a value1.2. Then we compared TTI at a 1:26 dilution with dilute Russell's Viper Venom Time (dRVVT) in 50 consecutive patients with suspected lupus anticoagulant not treated with warfarin or heparin. In these patients the diagnosis of lupus anticoagulant was carried out using dilute APTT mixing studies and a platelet neutralization procedure: four out of 50 patients thus tested were LA positive. When dRVVT or TTI-I 1:26 were used, five patients were positive for lupus anticoagulant. Innovin showed similar sensitivity of dRVVT for detection of lupus anticoagulant. It is likely that higher dilutions of thromboplastins could further improve the specificity of this method.

BACKGROUND: Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a key component of the humoral arm of innate immunity, is secreted by vascular cells in response to injury, possibly aiming at tuning arterial activation associated with vascular damage. Severe hypercholesterolemia as in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) promotes vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis; low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis is currently the treatment of choice to reduce plasma lipids in FH. HELP LDL apheresis affects pro- and antiinflammatory biomarkers, however its effects on PTX3 levels are unknown. We assessed the impact of FH and of LDL removal by HELP apheresis on PTX3. METHODS: Plasma lipids, PTX3, and CRP were measured in 19 patients with FH undergoing chronic HELP LDL apheresis before and after treatment and in 20 control subjects. In the patients assessment of inflammation and oxidative stress markers included also plasma TNFα, fibrinogen and TBARS. RESULTS: At baseline, FH patients had higher (p = 0.0002) plasma PTX3 than matched control subjects. In FH PTX3 correlated positively (p≤0.05) with age, gender and CRP and negatively (p = 0.01) with HELP LDL apheresis vintage. The latter association was confirmed after correction for age, gender and CRP. HELP LDL apheresis acutely reduced (p≤0.04) plasma PTX3, CRP, fibrinogen, TBARS and lipids, but not TNFα. No association was observed between mean decrease in PTX3 and in LDL cholesterol. PTX3 paralleled lipids, oxidative stress and inflammation markers in time-course study. CONCLUSION: FH is associated with increased plasma PTX3, which is acutely reduced by HELP LDL apheresis independently of LDL cholesterol, as reflected by the lack of association between change in PTX3 and in LDL levels. These results, together with the finding of a negative relationship between PTX3 and duration of treatment suggest that HELP LDL apheresis may influence both acutely and chronically cardiovascular outcomes in FH by modulating PTX3.