title: Plasma protein Z and protein C inhibitors and their role in hypercoagulability of thalassemia.
abstract: A hypercoagulable state has been described in thalassemia patients, partly due to a deficiency of inhibitors, protein C (PC) in particular. Since a potential role of a new hemostatic factor named protein Z (PZ) has been reported in hypercoagulability, we evaluated plasma PZ and PC levels in thalassemia and their possible relation to the hypercoagulable state. Sixty subjects with thalassemia major and 10 with thalassemia intermedia (TI) followed at our Department were enrolled in the study. An age-matched control group of healthy subjects was considered. PZ, thrombin-antithrombin complexes, PC concentration (PC:Ag) and activity (PC:Act) were measured. PZ, PC:Ag and PC:Act were significantly lower in thalassemia major and thalassemia intermedia subjects than in 30 healthy controls (p < 0.001), while thrombin-antithrombin complex levels were significantly increased (p < 0.001) and related to PC levels but not to PZ levels (p < 0.05). PZ and PC levels are reduced in thalassemia but only PC has an effect on the thalassemia hypercoagulable state.
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Unit, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni Carlo
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Del Vecchio
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nigro
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schettini
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altomare
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pietrapertosa
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Mattia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000990:Antithrombin III; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000097:blood*; D011486:Protein C / Q000032:analysis*; D020151:Protein C Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications