title: Activations of coagulation and fibrinolysis secondary to bowel inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent investigations suggest that activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis occurs in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the role of the hypercoagulable state in UC has not been determined. On the other hand, there are no reports dealing with coagulation in ischemic colitis (IC), in which acute bowel inflammation and reversible vascular occlusion affect the colon. Thus, our aim was to evaluate the hyper states of coagulation and fibrinolysis in UC by comparing activations of coagulation and fibrinolysis in patients with active UC and in those with IC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients with active UC and 12 patients with IC were studied, with 18 patients with inactive UC serving as controls. We investigated the activation of the coagulation system, including platelet counts, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT), serum concentrations of von Willebrand factor (vWF), activated factors XII, XI, X, IX, VIII, VII, V, II, fibrinogen, prothrombin fragments 1+2 (F1+2), thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT), protein S, protein C, plasminogen, alpha-2 plasminogen inhibitor (alpha-2PI) and D-dimer (D-D).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median serum vWF concentrations, F1+2, TAT, fibrinogen, activated factor XI, IX, VIII and V were significantly elevated in patients with active UC and IC compared to those in patients with inactive UC. There was no significant difference between active UC and IC patients in the mean values of any of the factors that were measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study indicate that the coagulation-fibrinolysis system is activated in patients with active bowel inflammation such as active UC and IC, and that the hyper states of coagulation and fibrinolysis in patients with active UC are secondary to bowel inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, School of Medicine, Kitakyusyu. k-kume@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Keiichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kume
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tashiro
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otsuki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000276:immunology; D017091:Colitis, Ischemic / Q000276:immunology*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000276:immunology*