Thrombotic events in systemic lupus erythematosus. Its association with acquired and inherited thrombophilic defects.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterised by increased venous and arterial thrombotic risk. Although antiphospholipid antibodies (APAs) have been shown to be related with thrombotic tendency in these patients, in more than 40% of them, thrombosis occurs without the presence of such antibodies. We analysed the association of venous and arterial thrombotic events with acquired (anticardiolipin antibodies (ACAs) and lupus anticoagulant (LA)) and inherited (antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC), protein S (PS) deficiencies, factor V Leiden and the prothrombin G20210A mutation), thrombophilic risk factors in 86 SLE patients and 89 healthy controls.

Erythrocyte membrane phosphatidylserine exposure in obesity.

It has been suggested that increased erythrocyte membrane phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure could contribute to hypercoagulability and hemorheological disturbances in obesity. The aim of our study was to evaluate PS exposure in obese patients and in a control group and to correlate this with hemorheological properties, i.e.

Fibrinolytic inhibitor levels and polymorphisms in Behçet disease and their association with thrombosis.

This study aimed to assess the fibrinolytic inhibitors and their association with thrombosis in Behçet disease. Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) (P < 0.001) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels (P = 0.

Haemorheological changes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus do not seem to be related to thrombotic events.

Atherothrombotic events are significant factors of mortality and morbidity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The extent that rheological factors may be involved in these events in these patients has not been established. We measured the following rheological parameters in 86 patients with SLE, of whom 16 had suffered venous and/or arterial thrombotic events, and in 86 healthy controls: fibrinogen (Fbg), plasma viscosity (PV), blood viscosity at 230 s(-1) both at native haematocrit (BVn 230 s(-1) and corrected to 45% (BVc 230 s(-1), erythrocyte aggregation at stasis (AE0) and at 3 s(-1) (AE1), aggregation time (Ta), aggregation index at 10 s (AI10), disaggregation threshold (gammaD), and erythrocyte deformability (ED).

Erythrocyte deformability in anaemic patients with reticulocytosis determined by means of ektacytometry techniques.

It is not clearly established whether reticulocyte deformability is lower than that of the mature erythrocytes, as most of studies published on this matter have evaluated this rheological parameter by means of micropipette techniques, which are unsuitable for routine measurements. Information is scarce as regards the evaluation of reticulocyte deformability by means of ektacytometry techniques, routinely used in clinical laboratories. We aimed to evaluate erythrocyte deformability (ED), with ektacytometry, in samples of 44 anaemic patients with peripheral reticulocytosis (reticulocytes: (260+/-150)x10(3)/microl) and in 60 healthy non-anaemic volunteers with a normal reticulocyte count (reticulocytes: (60+/-20)x10(3)/microl).

Erythrocyte deformability in obesity measured by ektacytometric techniques.

Erythrocyte deformability (ED) has been scarcely evaluated in obese patients without other concomitant cardiovascular risk factors and contradictory results have been published regarding the influence of plasma lipids on the erythrocyte membrane lipid composition and insulin resistance on this rheological parameter. In 67 severe or morbid obese patients without other cardiovascular risk factors (51 women and 11 men, aged 34+/-11 years) and in 67 controls (45 women and 22 men, aged 32+/-10 years), ED has been determined by ektacytometric techniques in a Rheodyn SSD, the elongation index (EI) being measured at 12, 30 and 60 Pa, along with plasma lipids, red blood cell membrane lipids (cholesterol and phospholipids) and insulin resistance indexes in basal conditions and after a three month diet period. No significant differences were obtained in the EI between obese patients and the control group at any of the shear stresses tested (P>0.

Erythrocyte hyperaggregation in obesity: determining factors and weight loss influence.

Objective: To compare erythrocyte aggregation (EA) in patients with severe obesity without other cardiovascular risk factors with a control group, using the Myrenne and the Sefam aggregometers, and to evaluate the effect of weight loss on this parameter.

Research Methods And Procedures: This was a longitudinal, clinical intervention study of a very low-calorie diet for 4 weeks followed by a low-calorie diet for 2 months. In 67 severely obese patients, an anthropometric and analytical evaluation [plasmatic lipids, fibrinogen (Fbg), and EA] was performed at baseline and 3 months after diet.

Plasma viscosity and related cardiovascular risk factors in a Spanish Mediterranean population.

Introduction: Plasma viscosity (PV) constitutes an independent important predictor of initial and recurrent cardiac events and mortality. It has been suggested that there is a geographical variation in PV values related to coronary event rates. Little information exists regarding PV in Spain.

Erythrocyte deformability does not seem to be altered in Behçet's disease.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic systemic vasculitis characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers, uveitis, and skin lesions. It is also associated with an increased risk of developing thrombosis, although the prothrombotic mechanisms are not clearly defined. The role played by rheological alterations in the development of thrombotic events in BD is not well defined, existing little information on whether erythrocyte deformability (ED) may be involved in this issue.

[Behçet disease: study of 74 patients].

Background And Objective: Behçet disease (BD) has a low prevalence in the Spanish population. Only a few reports have been published on the clinical features of BD in our country. The aim of this study is to determine the type and frequency of these features of BD in a population of patients in the Community of Valencia.

Thrombophilic risk factors and homocysteine levels in Behçet's disease in eastern Spain and their association with thrombotic events.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder in which thrombosis occurs in about 30% of patients. The prothrombotic mechanisms are unknown. Thrombophilic defects and hyperhomocysteinaemia may be involved in the pathogenesis of thrombotic events, although results have been controversial.

Erythrocyte aggregation in Behçet's disease determined with the Sefam and Myrenne aggregometer. Lack of association with thrombosis and uveitis.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic systemic vasculitis characterised by recurrent oral and genital ulcers and uveitis, in which 25-30% of patients develop thrombotic events of unknown etiology. In order to ascertain whether erythrocyte aggregation (EA) may be involved in thrombotic events and or uveitis in BD patients, we determined using two erythrocyte aggregometers i.e.

Influence of fibrinogen levels on erythrocyte aggregation determined with the Myrenne aggregometer and the Sefam erythro-aggregometer.

Fibrinogen is one of the plasmatic proteins which has a major influence on erythrocyte aggregation. The level of fibrinogen at which erythrocyte aggregation does not further increase is not well established. Therefore we aim to determine erythrocyte aggregation with two devices: Myrenne aggregometer (M0 and M1) and Sefam erythro-aggregometer (Ta, AI10 and gammaD) in relation with fibrinogen levels, in patients with several diseases with fibrinogen levels ranging between 200-1100 mg/dl.

Red blood cell deformability in iron deficiency anaemia.

In patients with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) it has been suggested that the shortened erythrocyte lifespan may be in part due to decreased erythrocyte deformability. In order to know whether erythrocyte deformability is decreased in IDA patients, we have determined the erythrocyte Elongation Index (EI) by means of ektacytometric techniques (Rheodyn SSD, Myrenne Gmbh, Germany), in 50 IDA patients and 100 well age and sex matched healthy controls. At the three shear stresses tested, 12, 30 and 60 Pa, IDA patients show statistically lower EI than controls (37.

Dietary arginine slightly and variably affects tissue polyamine levels in male swiss albino mice.

Many key metabolic and physiologic functions involve arginine and arginine-derived metabolites. Requirements for arginine, a "conditionally essential" amino acid for most mammalian species, are met in variable proportions by dietary intake and endogenous synthesis, the latter being sufficient to fulfill arginine needs in adult humans and mice under nonpathologic conditions. However, dietary arginine restriction causes orotic aciduria and abnormal function of the urea cycle.

Hemorheological alterations and hypercoagulable state in deep vein thrombosis.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) seems to be related to a hypercoagulation and definite hemorheological alterations, but the importance of these alterations in the development of thrombotic events in the deep vein system has not been established. The present study examines both aspects in a group of 55 patients with DVT; the presence of a hypercoagulable state was assessed by quantifying the prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2) and the thrombin-antithrombin III complex (T-AT), and the main hemorheological parameters were evaluated in the acute state and 6 and 12 months later. The results show marked hemorheological, F1+2, and TAT alterations in the acute phase.