Reduced plasma levels of coagulation factors in relation to prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
Prostate cancer has historically been associated with coagulation abnormalities. This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of abnormalities of coagulation factors in patients with prostate cancer before and after radical prostatectomy (RP). Because coagulation factors have been shown to be involved in tumor angiogenesis, the vascular density of the prostate tumors was assessed.


METHODS
Plasma of 40 consecutive patients with histologically proven prostate cancer was investigated pre-RP and post-RP. The antigen level for antithrombin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and heparin cofactor-II, and the plasma activity of antithrombin and plasminogen were determined by using immunologic and chromogenic assays. The values of these assays were compared with a group of 28 male, age-matched patients without any evidence of cancer and 18 patients with orthopedic interventions preoperatively and postoperatively. The vascular density of the prostate tumors was assessed by staining paraffin sections with an antibody to CD34.


RESULTS
The median plasma antigen levels and/or activities of the investigated factors were below normal in the prostate cancer patients before RP. Furthermore, coagulation factors were significantly lower than in the age-matched control group and patients before and after orthopedic surgery. In prostate cancer patients, the median values of all investigated factors went up to normal levels within 2 weeks after RP, whereas postsurgical levels in orthopedic patients remained stable. No correlations to tumor parameters have been observed.


CONCLUSIONS
We assume that the reduction of these coagulation factors is a principle concept in prostate cancer that needs further investigation.
Beecken
Wolf-Dietrich
WD
Clinic for Urology and Pediatric Urology, the J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. beecken@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Bentas
Wassilios
W
Engels
Knut
K
Glienke
Wolfgang
W
Urbschat
Anja
A
Jonas
Dietger
D
Binder
Jochen
J
Scharrer
Inge
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen