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Decreased plasma activity of antithrombin or protein C is not due to consumption coagulopathy in septic patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation
Author(s) -
Asakura Hidesaku,
Ontachi Yasuo,
Mizutani Tomoe,
Kato Minori,
Ito Takako,
Saito Masanori,
Morishita Eriko,
Yamazaki Masahide,
Aoshima Keiji,
Takami Akiyoshi,
Yoshida Tomotaka,
Suga Yukio,
Miyamoto Kenichi,
Nakao Shinji
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
european journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0902-4441
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0609.2001.5790508.x
Subject(s) - antithrombin , disseminated intravascular coagulation , coagulopathy , albumin , medicine , protein c , coagulation , sepsis , gastroenterology , heparin
Abstract: We investigated whether depressed plasma antithrombin and protein C activity, considered as a specific finding of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), is due to consumption coagulopathy in septic patients with DIC. An analysis of hemostatic parameters was performed in 139 septic patients (68 with DIC and 71 without DIC). Plasma activity of antithrombin and protein C tended to be significantly decreased in septic patients with DIC but not in those without DIC ( p < 0.001). However, when the septic patients were classified into three groups according to the albumin (or choline esterase) level, no significant differences in antithrombin activity or protein C activity were observed between the patients with and without DIC in any of the subgroups. Notably, neither the plasma activity of antithrombin nor protein C was decreased even in septic patients with DIC who had normal plasma levels of albumin (or choline esterase). No significant correlation was observed between plasma levels of thrombin–antithrombin complex (TAT) and antithrombin activity, or between plasma levels of TAT and protein C activity either in septic patients with DIC or without DIC. It is reasonable to conclude that the markedly reduced plasma activity of antithrombin and protein C is not due to consumption coagulopathy in septic patients with DIC.