Plasma von Willebrand factor and thrombomodulin as markers of vascular disorders in patients undergoing regular hemodialysis therapy.
Increased plasma levels of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) are regarded as reflecting the release reaction by vascular endothelial cells and/or endothelial cell injury, and increased levels of thrombomodulin (TM) antigen as reflecting damage to endothelial cells. We investigated changes in plasma vWF:Ag and TM antigen levels during the course of regular hemodialysis treatment (RDT) in 14 patients undergoing RDT in order to evaluate the effect of hemodialysis (HD) on endothelial cells. vWF:Ag and TM were both measured by the sandwich EIA method. Predialysis levels of vWF:Ag and TM in RDT patients were both significantly higher than normal control values. Neither patient age nor blood pressure was not correlated with predialysis vWF:Ag and TM levels. Both vWF:Ag and TM levels significantly increased during a single HD session. There was a positive correlation between predialysis TM levels and duration of HD and an inverse correlation between the amount of vWF:Ag released during HD and duration of HD. It appears that HD procedures induce stimulation and damage of endothelial cells and that long-term, recurrent HD treatment may predispose to vascular disorders.
Tomura
S
S
Department of Internal Medicine, Nakano General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Nakamura
Y
Y
Deguchi
F
F
Chida
Y
Y
Ohno
Y
Y
Kodama
S
S
Hayashi
T
T
Suzuki
K
K
Marumo
F
F
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013917:Thrombin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D013917:Thrombin