Decreased plasma soluble thrombomodulin levels as a risk factor for pulmonary thromboembolism.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the changes of the plasma soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) concentrations in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and assess the association between plasma sTM concentration and the risk of PTE.


METHODS
We measured plasma concentrations of sTM, protein C (PC) and protein S (PS) and examined the association between those plasma markers and the risk of PTE in 72 selected PTE patients and 70 controls.


RESULTS
Significant difference was identified in plasma sTM level between overall PTE patients and controls. Female PTE patients had statistically lower sTM concentrations than male patients. A positive linear correlation was found between plasma sTM concentration and age in female patients. Decreased plasma sTM concentration was associated with a continuously and progressively increased risk for PTE in women. The concentrations of plasma PC and PS did not differ between groups and no significant quantitative association was identified between the risk of PTE and the levels of plasma PC or PS.


CONCLUSIONS
Decreased plasma sTM concentration is associated with an increased risk of PTE in women.
Yin
Yu-Dong
YD
Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Wang
Chen
C
Zhai
Zhen-Guo
ZG
Pang
Bao-Sen
BS
Yang
Yuan-Hua
YH
Huang
Xiu-Xia
XX
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011486:Protein C / Q000032:analysis; D017293:Protein S / Q000032:analysis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012995:Solubility; D018180:Thrombomodulin / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D011486:Protein C; D017293:Protein S; D018180:Thrombomodulin