title: The PLAT Study: a multidisciplinary study of hemostatic function and conventional risk factors in vascular disease patients.
abstract: In this paper are reported the basal results of a multidisciplinary, multicenter study designed to explore in a population with ischemic disease the relation between hemostatic variables, conventional risk factors and atherothrombotic sequelae. 953 patients less than or equal to 69 yrs with documented coronary, cerebral or peripheral atherosclerotic disease were studied and followed-up for 24 months. Examinations included hemostatic and lipid laboratory assays, arterial Doppler examination, cerebral computerized tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance, exercise electrocardiogram and coronary angiography. Fibrinogen (301.4 +/- 71.52 mg/dl) correlated positively with antithrombin III (r = 0.27) and leukocytes (r = 0.25), negatively with HDL-cholesterol (r = 0.18) and tended to increase with smoking. Heavy smokers had higher leukocyte counts than non-smokers (8.0 +/- 2.0 vs. 7.2 +/- 2.1 x 10(3)/microliters), higher triglycerides (1.87 +/- 1.12 vs. 1.53 +/- 1.35 mmol/l) and lower HDL-cholesterol (0.93 +/- 0.27 vs. 1.00 +/- 0.25 mmol/l). FVII correlated positively with triglycerides (r = 0.16) and protein C (r = 0.45). vWF:Ag (145.4 +/- 70.58%) ad FVII:C (139.7 +/- 59.10%) were positively correlated (r = 0.44). FVIII:C correlated positively with fibrinogen (r = 0.21). Myocardial infarction survivors with associated cerebral and peripheral vascular lesions had higher FVIII:C, FVII, fibronogen and vWF:Ag. These findings suggest that hemostatic factors may enhance and/or mediate the effects of conventional risk factors in atherothrombotic ischemic events.
authors.affiliation: Instituto di Medicina Interna, Milan University, Ospedale Policlinico, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cortellaro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boschetti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cofrancesco
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zanussi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Gaetano
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Specchia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavazzi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000032:analysis; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011486:Protein C / Q000032:analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D008055:Lipids; D011486:Protein C; D000990:Antithrombin III; D005340:Fibrinogen