title: Markers of coagulation activation after hepatic resection for cancer: evidence of sustained upregulation of coagulation.
abstract: We investigated the possibility that despite postoperative derangements of routine laboratory coagulation tests, markers of coagulation activation and thrombin generation would be normal or increased in patients undergoing hepatic resection for cancer In addition to the conventional coagulation tests prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, we measured select markers of coagulation activation prothrombin fragments 1 and 2 (PF1 + 2), thrombin-antithrombin complexes and plasma von Willebrand Factor antigen in 21 patients undergoing hepatic resection. The impact of hepatic resection on coagulation and fibrinolysis was studied with thromboelastography. Preoperatively, routine laboratory coagulation and liver function tests were normal in all patients. On the first postoperative day, prothrombin time was prolonged (range 16 to 22 seconds) in eight patients (38%). For these patients, thromboelastography was normal in six (75%), PF1 + 2 was elevated in four (50%), and thrombin-antithrombin complexes and von Willebrand Factor antigen were elevated in all, which was evidence of acute phase reaction, sustained coagulation factor turnover and activation. By the fifth postoperative day, despite normalisation of prothrombin time, markers of increased coagulation activity remained greater than 85% of baseline values. The findings indicate that in patients undergoing liver resection for cancer, there is significant and prolonged postoperative activation of the haemostatic system despite routine coagulation tests being normal or even prolonged. Before considering therapeutic interventions an integrated approach to interpreting haematological data with clinical correlation is essential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia. Laurence.Weinberg@austin.org.au
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scurrah
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dauer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McCall
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Story
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McNicol
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000990:Antithrombin III; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D011516:Prothrombin; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D013916:Thrombelastography; D013917:Thrombin; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult; D014841:von Willebrand Factor
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; C029733:prothrombin fragment 1; C044183:prothrombin fragment 2; D000990:Antithrombin III; D011516:Prothrombin; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D013917:Thrombin