Is increased thrombin activation in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms dependent on area or volume of aneurysm thrombus mass?
OBJECTIVE
Does thrombin activation seen in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) relate to the thrombus surface area or volume within the aneurysm?


METHODS
A total of 130 patients with AAA were analyzed regarding levels of the complex between activated protein C-protein C inhibitor (APC-PCI) and AAA morphology. Analysis of APC-PCI complex was made using a sandwich immunofluorometric method.


RESULTS
Increased APC-PCI concentrations were seen in patients with AAA (0.44 microg/L; P < .001 compared with controls). The correlations of APC-PCI values were r = .13, P = .13 for aneurysm size, r = .08, P = .35 for thrombus surface area, and r = .13, P = .14 for thrombus volume. APC-PCI values elevated to 0.45 microg/L in 10 patients with AAA having no or very little thrombus mass.


CONCLUSIONS
Disappointingly, no correlation was found between thrombus surface area or volume and levels of the APC-PCI complex. Mechanisms other than the AAA-sac thrombus must be evaluated as cause of thrombin activation in patients with AAA.
Kölbel
Tilo
T
Departments of Vascular Diseases and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital MAS, Malmö, Sweden. tilokoelbel@gmail.com
Donath
Tobias
T
Strandberg
Karin
K
Flondell-Sité
Despina
D
Kühme
Tobias
T
Gottsäter
Anders
A
Lindblad
Bengt
B
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013917:Thrombin / Q000502:physiology*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*
D013917:Thrombin