title: Protein C antigen is not an acute phase reactant and is often high in ischemic heart disease and diabetes.
abstract: Protein C, an antithrombotic protein, was measured immunologically in 299 patients with clinical conditions associated with a high frequency of venous or arterial thromboembolism. The mean protein C antigen (PC:Ag) level was high for 48 patients with ischemic heart disease and, to a lesser extent, for 95 diabetics. In 28 patients with thrombotic strokes, 48 patients with proximal deep-vein thrombosis and in 80 patients with localized or metastatic tumors, mean PC:Ag was normal. Comparison of the pattern of changes of PC:Ag levels with those of fibrinogen, orosomucoid and prothrombin in 21 patients during the postoperative period and in 20 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis ruled out the possibility that high PC:Ag is non-specific, acute-phase reaction to inflammation, tissue injury or neoplastic growth. Therefore, high PC:Ag might be specifically related to the thrombotic tendency of these patients, but the mechanism of such a relationship remains to be clarified.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D011486:Protein C; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D006023:Glycoproteins; D011486:Protein C