[Thrombophilia in patients with venous thromboembolism]. / Trombofilia en pacientes con tromboembolismo venoso.

PURPOSE: To assess the incidence of congenital and acquired thrombophilia and to analyse the clinical characteristics of a group of patients with high risk criteria for thrombophilia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and eighty-five consecutive patients seen at the anticoagulant outpatient clinic of the Oviedo Central Hospital between 1987 and 1993 were evaluated. The patients had to meet one or more of the following: 1) venous thrombosis (VT) under 45 years of age; 2) repeat VT; 3) family history of VT; 4) unusual VT location (mesenteric, brain, etc.). The study was performed 4 to 7 months after the first acute episode and at least one month after suppression of anti-vitamin K treatment. The following test were carried out: blood cell counts, basic coagulation tests (APTT, PT, TT, RT and fibrinogen), lupus-like anticoagulant detection, with and without platelet extract, diluted tissular thromboplastin inhibition test, antibodies, anticardiolipin, liver and kidney functional screen, cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides and glycaemia. The venous occlusion test after 20-minute stasis was used for the global fibrinolysis study. The statistical evaluation was performed with the SPSS programme. RESULTS: Biologic alterations were present in 98 patients (35%), 12% corresponding to congenital thrombophilia and 23% to acquired thrombophilia. The study was normal in 187 patients (65%). Of the patients with congenital thrombophilia, 4.9% had protein C (PC) deficit, 3.4% protein S (PS) deficit, and 2.4% antithrombin III (AT-III) deficit. Of the patients with acquired thrombophilia, 4.5% had antiphospholipid antibodies and 18% had impaired fibrinolysis. Of all the data analysed, the patient history was found of scarce predictive value as to the risk for thrombophilia. Significant differences were found for family history of VT (p < 0.0005) and for the association of more than one criteria for inclusion (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: No conclusions could be drawn from this study regarding the prophylactic attitude in patients with congenital abnormalities or anti-phospholipid antibodies. It is recommended to assess in such patients PC, PS and AT-III activities.

Prospective study of antigenemia, plasma viremia and lymphocytic viremia in HIV-infected hemophiliacs.

A total of 186 blood samples from 24 HIV-1 seropositive hemophiliac patients, monitored every four months for 29 months, were investigated for the presence of viral antigen in plasma. In addition, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured for HIV-1, using normal PBMC as a target for replication. Antigenemia was detected in 51% of the patients and from PBMC in 87.5% of the patients. The incidence of HIV isolation in asymptomatic patients (42.8%) was similar to that found in symptomatic patients (51.4%). Patients with opportunistic infections had a higher incidence of lymphocytic viremia (p < 0.05). Plasma viremia was closely associated (p < 0.05) with low CD4+ counts and infection progression. The persistence of antigenemia was also a marker of a poor clinical course. In treated patients, plasma viremia was the marker that better correlated with the clinical course, and it did not appear during the first nine months of therapy. Zidovudine doses of > 500 mg/day significantly lowered the appearance of antigenemia and lymphocytic viremia (p < 0.05).

[Antiphospholipid antibodies in human immunodeficiency virus infection]. / Anticuerpos antifosfolípido en la infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana.

BACKGROUND: The frequency, clinical significance and prognosis of the lupic anticoagulant and the anticardiolipin antibodies were analyzed in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus infection. METHODS: A group of 34 consecutive patients seropositive to HIV with lupic anticoagulant was studied in relation with 75 seropositive subjects without circulating anticoagulant and a control group of plasma of 23 seronegative individuals. The lengthening of thromboplastin time (relation > 1.3) was used as a screening test. The anticardiolipin antibodies IgG were studied by commercial enzymoimmunoassay. RESULTS: Lupic anticoagulant was detected in 21% of the patients with AIDS and in 3% of the seropositive patients without AIDS. The anticoagulant was found in 13 of 53 cases with tuberculosis, in 8 of 57 with pneumonia by Pneumocystis carinii, in 4 of 32 with bacteremia and in 3 out of 8 with lymphoma. In another six patients other minor processes and/or HIV seropositivity were coexistent. Thrombosis was not seen in any case, and the rate of thrombocytopenia (18%) was that to be expected in this population. The patients with anticoagulant had a greater prevalence to developing AIDS, opportunistic infections and tuberculosis with respect to the seropositive group without anticoagulant, however, no differences were observed in the prevalence and levels of anticardiolipin antibodies and other nonspecific autoimmune phenomena. Periodic follow up of the patients with anticoagulant demonstrated persistence of the anticoagulant in 31% and reappearance of the same in 23% with new infections. CONCLUSIONS: No correlation was found between the different antiphospholipid antibodies in the patient infected by the human immunodeficiency virus. Low titers of anticardiolipin antibodies are indicative of disease progression.