Hemostatic balance between pro- and anticoagulant is maintained during glucocorticoid treatment.

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids are associated with an increased risk of venous thrombosis. Glucocorticoid treatment increases coagulation factor and anticoagulant levels; however, its effect on hemostatic function remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the changes in comprehensive coagulation profiles after glucocorticoid treatment in noninflammatory diseases to elucidate the direct contribution of glucocorticoids to hemostatic function. PROCEDURE: Patients diagnosed with primary immune thrombocytopenia requiring glucocorticoid treatment were prospectively enrolled in this study. Changes in coagulation factors and anticoagulants during glucocorticoid treatment and changes in thrombin generation potential were determined in the absence and presence of soluble thrombomodulin (sTM). RESULTS: Seven treatment cases (four for steroid pulse therapy and three for oral glucocorticoid therapy) in six patients with immune thrombocytopenia were examined. After glucocorticoid treatment, activated partial thromboplastin time significantly shortened, and activities of factor VIII, IX, XI, and XII significantly increased, except for von Willebrand factor antigen. Moreover, antithrombin and protein C (PC) activities significantly increased after glucocorticoid treatment. Two major parameters of thrombin generation potential, endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) and peak thrombin (Peak), significantly increased in the absence of sTM after glucocorticoid treatment. However, no significant increases in either parameter were observed in the presence of sTM. ETP-TM and Peak-TM ratios, which represent resistance to the anticoagulant effect of the PC pathway, significantly decreased after glucocorticoid treatment, suggesting that anticoagulant function via the PC pathway is elevated after glucocorticoid treatment. CONCLUSIONS: As glucocorticoids increase intrinsic coagulation factor and anticoagulant levels, hemostatic balance between pro- and anticoagulant functions is maintained.

[Von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease activity in patients of collagen disease with antiphospholipid antibodies].

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), characterized by widespread thrombus formation in the microcirculation, is a ponderous complication of antiphospholipid syndrome. Recently, von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease (VWF-CPase) activity has been reported as a possible determinant for the occurrence of TTP. To clarify the role of VWF-CPase in the thrombus formation associated with antiphospholipid syndrome, we investigated plasma VWF-CPase activity in patients of collagen diseases with lupus anticoagulant (LA). Decreased plasma VWF-CPase activity less than 50% of the normal activity was observed in 25.7% (n = 18) in 70 patients with collagen diseases and 7 (10%) cases of them showed more lower VWF-CPase activity less than 25%. The IgG fractions obtained from 2 patients with the low VWF-CPase activity strongly inhibited the proteolytic reaction of normal VWF-CPase. There was no significant relationship between LA and plasma VWF-CPase activity. Thrombotic episodes, especially arterial thrombosis, were more frequently observed in LA-positive patients with low VWF-CPase activity. These results suggest that decreased activity of VWF-CPase, partly due to IgG type inhibitor to the enzyme activity may be an additional risk factor for arterial thrombosis in collagen disease patients with antiphospholipid antibodies.