title: Hypercoagulable states in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have an increased risk for venous thromboembolism, mainly portal venous thrombosis (PVT). The aim of this study was to assess the role of acquired and hereditary thrombotic risk factors in HCC patients. Thirty-one patients with HCC, 30 patients with cirrhosis but without HCC or PVT, and 48 matched healthy controls were studied. Mean levels of plasma protein C, protein S, antithrombin, and serum lipoprotein (a) were significantly lower in patients with HCC and in the cirrhotic group compared to the healthy controls. Mean serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in patients with HCC compared to cirrhotics and healthy controls. The prevalence of activated protein C resistance, factor V Leiden mutation, prothrombin gene mutation G20210GA, and C677T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism was not significantly different among the three groups. In conclusion, thrombophilic defects are common in HCC patients and they might contribute to the observed thrombotic complications in this malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Demetrios N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Samonakis
authors.forename: Ioannis E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Koutroubakis
authors.forename: Aekaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sfiridaki
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malliaraki
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Antoniou
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romanos
authors.forename: Elias A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kouroumalis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000032:analysis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011486:Protein C / Q000032:analysis; D017293:Protein S / Q000032:analysis; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000991:Antithrombins; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D011486:Protein C; D017293:Protein S; D006710:Homocysteine