Impact of coagulation in the development of thromboembolic events in patients with spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN: Although the knowledge described about risk factors and venous thromboembolism (VT) in the general population, the impact of these factors in the development of thromboembolic events in patients with spinal injury (SI) caused by spinal cord injury (SCI) is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the impact of risk factors in the development of thromboembolic events in patients with SCI. SETTING: Brazil, São Paulo. METHODS: Observational, prospective and cross-study. Eligible patients (n=100) had SI by SCI, >18 years. The degree of motor and sensory lesion was evaluated based on American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS). Blood samples were collected for coagulation exams, hemogram, laboratory and biochemical analyses. Ultrasonography analyzes were performed from deep and superficial venous systems of lower limbs. Quantitative real-time PCR experiments were performed in order to investigate mutations in the prothrombin (G20210A) and Leiden factor V (G1691A) genes. RESULTS: The main finding of this study was the higher occurrence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients with Leiden factor V and hyperhomocysteinemia. There was no association between SI for DVT, VT and thrombophilia. Also, there was no relation between lupus anticoagulant and anti-cardiolipin. CONCLUSION: There is an important difference in the incidence of DVT in patients with SI by acute and chronic SCI. Therefore, the conduct of the investigation for thrombophilia should be based on clinical factors, risk factors for DVT and family history of thrombosis.

Glucose metabolism in the erythrocytes of the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

14CO2 production from [1-14C] glucose, the rate of glycolysis measured by the value of lactate production and the activities of various enzymes were determined in buffalo erythrocytes. Buffalo red cell glycolytic metabolites were estimated and used for the calculation of the mass action ratios of reactions catalyzed by the glycolytic enzymes of Bubalus bubalis. A comparison of the values of the mass action ratios with the equilibrium constants of the various glycolytic reactions indicate that hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, phosphoglycerate kinase and pyruvate kinase reactions are displaced from equilibrium, suggesting a regulatory role for each of these enzymes in buffalo erythrocyte glycolysis.

Purification and properties of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) erythrocyte hexokinase.

Buffalo erythrocytes contain one isozyme of hexokinase that apparently lacks microheterogeneity as shown by chromatographic properties. A single protein band was detected by means of Western blotting using an antibody raised in rabbits against homogeneous rat brain hexokinase I. The native protein has a molecular weight of 200,000 +/- 2880 by gel filtration. Partial purification of erythrocyte hexokinase by a combination of several procedures, including affinity chromatography, which was previously applied successfully to the purification of other mammalian type I hexokinases, produced a partially purified enzyme that showed several contaminants after SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The affinity of buffalo erythrocyte hexokinase for glucose (K(m) = 0.012 +/- 0.001 mM) is lower than most other mammal hexokinases type I. It phosphorylates other sugars, with considerably higher K(m) values. This isozyme is able to use MgATP but does not use MgGTP, MgCTP or MgUTP. We used inhibition patterns, obtained with products to elucidate enzyme sequential mechanisms. Our results are clearly in agreement with a random sequential mechanism and in disagreement with an ordered sequential mechanism with either glucose or ATP as the obligatory first substrates. The ADP inhibition was of mixed type with both ATP and glucose as substrates.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Expressing T-Cell Antigens: Clinico-Hematological Report on Six Cases.

In a series of 107 patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), blast cells from six patients were found to simultaneously express CD2 and CD7 antigens along with CD13, CD33, and CDw 65 in various combinations. The frequency of the expression of both lymphoid markers recurred with a higher incidence than that anticipated by multiplying single antigens frequency. The clinical and hematologic features from CD2+/CD7 + AML patients were studied as well as compared with those of CD2-/CD7- AML patients observed in the same period. Morphologically, bone marrow smears from the AML hybrid subset showed a preponderant population of agranular blasts along with a minority of typical myeloid cells, characterized by larger amount of cytoplasm and, in three cases, by rare but distinct Auer Rods. In all cases more than 3% of blast cells were positive for myeloperoxidases and all samples were classified as M1 according to FAB classification. Clinically, CD2 + /CD7 + patients presented with a higher incidence of adenopathy and meningeal leukemia than did patients with CD2 + /CD7 - AML and were characterized by poor response to therapy in terms of both achievement and duration of remission. We conclude that simultaneous expression of CD2 and CD7 in AML is a non random event, recurring in more than 5% of cases and is associated with distinct clinical and hematologic features.

Metabolic activity of the Sticker's lymphosarcoma.

Some parameters (glycolysis, respiration, levels of glycolytic enzymes) of the lymphoid cells from the Sticker's lymphosarcoma were established in order to better define the biochemical behavior of the venereal tumor of the dog. For comparative purposes lymphocytes from peripheral blood of normal and tumor-bearing dogs were also studied. Lactic acid produced by the tumor cells during aerobic glycolysis is liberated in the reaction medium. Oxygen uptake is enhanced in the presence of succinate, but not with pyruvate, alpha-ketoglutarate, or malate as substrates. Higher levels of some of the enzymes from the glycolytic pathways as well as differences on the physicochemical and kinetic properties of the glycolytic regulatory enzymes are found in Sticker's tumor cells, when compared with the lymphocytes from peripheral blood of normal and tumor-bearing dogs. A fructose-bisphosphate positively modulated pyruvatekinase is found in the tumor cells.

Kinetic properties of pyruvate kinase from the epaxial muscle of the marine fishes Mugil lisa and Chaetoditerus faber.

Kinetic studies were carried out on the reaction catalyzed by pyruvate kinase (ATP:pyruvate phosphotransferase, E.C. 2.7.1.40) purified from white striated (epaxial) muscle of two marine fish Mugil lisa (Brazilian mullet) and Chaetoditerus faber (harvest fish). This included the establishment of kinetic parameters. Attention was given to the effect of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Fru-P2) on PK activity. Effects of ATP, alanine and the divalent ions, Mg2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Be2+ and Co2+, on the fish muscle enzyme were also studied.

Comparative levels between enzymes of the glycolytic pathway from erythrocytes and somatic tissues of the chicken Gallus gallus domesticus.

A comparative study on the glycolytic enzymes from chicken erythrocytes and somatic tissues has been carried out, the results being shown as active units per mg protein in supernatants of 1085, 12,100 and 106,000 g fractionated centrifugation. The profiles of the glycolytic enzymes have been analyzed in terms of their activity relative to hexokinase and as the ratios between pairs of enzymes bearing a product-substrate relationship. Chicken erythrocyte displays a very peculiar profile of glycolytic enzymes. It possesses a FruP2-activated pyruvate kinase of the L isoenzyme type, which does not seem to be the predominant isoenzyme together with the M type, the content in glycolytic enzymes being much lower than in the somatic tissues.