[The prothrombotic state in early stages of chronic chagas' disease].
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to explore the presence of a prothrombotic state in the early stages of chronic Chagas' disease by evaluating serum markers of thrombosis and fibrinolysis.


METHODS
Forty-two patients with chronic Chagas' disease (12 men and 30 women, 32.5 6.7 years) were compared with 21 healthy volunteers (10 men and 11 women, 24.2 5.6 years). The markers of thrombotic activation used were fragment 1 + 2, ATM complex, PDF/pdf, D-dimer, and beta-thromboglobulin. Fibrinolysis was evaluated before and after venous occlusion, together with euglobulin lysis time, t-PA, and PAI-1 titers.


RESULTS
The markers of thrombotic state were significantly higher in patients with chronic Chagas' disease than in controls: F1 + 2 (p < 0.0001), ATM (p < 0.0001), PDF/pdf (p < 0.05), and D dimer (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in beta-thromboglobulin (p = 0.06). Euglobulin lysis time, a global fibrinolytic marker, differed significantly (p < 0.0001) between patients with Chagas' disease and healthy volunteers. However, the more specific fibrinolytic markers t-PA and PAI-1 did not differ significantly between the two study groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Although there were no significant differences in fibrinolytic markers between patients with chronic Chagas' disease and healthy volunteers, the significant increase in thrombosis markers (F1 + 2, ATM complex, PDF/pdf, and D dimer) suggests the presence of a prothrombotic state in the early stages of chronic Chagas' disease.
Herrera
Ramón N
RN
Departamento de Hemostasia y Trombosis. Hospital Centro de Salud Zenón J. Santillán. Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Argentina.
Díaz
Elba
E
Pérez
Rossana
R
Chaín
Sergio
S
Sant-Yacumo
Roque
R
Rodríguez
Eduardo
E
Bianchi
Jorge
J
Coviello
Alfredo
A
Miotti
Julio
J
Flores
Isolina
I
de la Serna
Fernando
F
Muntaner
Juan
J
Berman
Sofía
S
Luciardi
Héctor
H
D000328:Adult; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000502:physiology; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications
D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors
Estado protrombótico en estadios tempranos de la enfermedad de Chagas crónica.