Etanercept and venous thromboembolism: a case series.

Introduction: The treatment with antitumor necrosis factor agents has often been associated with the induction of autoantibodies (antinuclear antibodies, anti-double stranded DNA antibodies and antiphospholipid antibodies). The clinical significance of these antibodies remains unclear, but they may predispose to antiphospholipid syndrome with thromboembolic complications. The association of etanercept with thromboembolic events has not been reported previously in the literature.

Assessment of specific risks for the recurrence of deep vein thrombosis: a case report.

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism is a multifactorial disease defined by multiple interactions between genetic and environmental components. It is managed by oral anticoagulation with warfarin sodium (Coumadin), a drug that targets the vitamin K epoxide reductase to prevent the recycling of vitamin K epoxide to the reduced form of vitamin K. The reduced form of vitamin K is an essential cofactor in the formation of active clotting factors II, VII, IX, X and regulatory factors protein C, and cofactor protein S through gamma-glutamyl carboxylation.

Thrombophilia and hypercoagulability.

This is a review of less well-known aspects of thrombophilia and hypercoagulability as they relate to thrombosis. Thrombosis is an abnormal fibrin clot that develops in circulating blood with clinical symptoms of one or more arterial and/or venous obstructions exclusively identified by imaging techniques. The terms thrombophilia and hypercoagulability are often used indiscriminately when they are in fact separate entities.

Discordant hemodynamic and fibrinolytic adaptations following a 6-week cardiac rehabilitation program.

The present study evaluated changes in hemodynamics and fibrinolysis during 6 weeks of participation in an exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program. Fourteen patients trained for 3 days per week for 6 weeks using American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for intensity and duration. Blood samples were taken at baseline and after 3 and 6 weeks of participation and analyzed for tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity and antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity and antigen, and relative quantification of t-PA and PAI-1 RNA.

Proteolysis of protein C in pooled normal plasma and purified protein C by activated protein C (APC).

Protein C is a vitamin-K dependent zymogen of the anti-coagulant serine protease activated protein C (APC). In this paper, we report four lines of evidence that APC can activate protein C in pooled normal plasma, and purified protein C. First, the addition of APC to protein C-deficient plasma supplemented with protein C produces a prolongation of the clotting time of plasma that is proportional to the amount of protein C.

Upper extremity deep venous thrombosis.

Upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (UEDVT) makes up approximately 1-4% of all episodes of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Risk factors for UEDVT include central venous catheterization, strenuous upper extremity exercise or anatomic abnormalities causing venous compression, inherited thrombophilia, and acquired hypercoagulable states including pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, and cancer. Unexplained or recurrent UEDVT should prompt a search for inherited hypercoagulable states or underlying malignancy.