The association between the 4G/5G polymorphism in the promoter of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene and extension of postsurgical calf vein thrombosis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of a plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) promoter polymorphism 4G/5G could significantly influence the proximal extension of vein thrombosis in spite of anticoagulant treatment in patients with calf vein thrombosis (CVT) following orthopaedic, urological and abdominal surgery. We studied 168 patients with CVT, who had undergone orthopaedic, urological and abdominal surgery, subdivided as follows: first, 50 patients with thrombosis progression; second, 118 patients without thrombosis progression. The 4G/5G polymorphism of the plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 was evaluated in all patients and in 70 healthy matched controls.

[Clinical use of a new class of anticoagulant drugs: the direct thrombin inhibitors].

The coagulation cascade, and particularly thrombin, plays a very important role in arterial and venous thrombosis. Thereby, it is clear that thrombin inactivation is an optimal strategy for thrombotic disease prevention and treatment. The direct thrombin inhibitors are a new class of anticoagulant drugs directly binding thrombin and blocking its interaction with fibrinogen.