Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0034065 (pulmonary embolism)
 14,979 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The present overview describes the mode of action of direct and indirect anticoagulants. Furthermore it presents well-accepted and potential indications for the different anticoagulants as concomitant treatment during thrombolysis of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and myocardial infarction. The new antithrombotics dermatansulfate, hirudine, synthetic peptide thrombin inhibitors, activated protein C, inhibitors of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa are reviewed. Many small and large studies on the thrombolytic treatment of myocardial infarction demonstrate the benefit of simultaneous application of heparins.
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PMID:[Anticoagulation in thrombolytic therapy: importance and future perspectives]. 833 24

From November 1987 to February 1992, extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was used for four patients undergoing prolonged external cardiac massage following cardiac arrest. Their underlying diseases consisted of acute pulmonary embolism, pulmonary arterial thrombosis due to protein C deficiency, acute inferior left ventricular infarction accompanied by right ventricular infarction and thoracic contusion. After the initiation of ECLS, hemodynamic variables and metabolic acidosis improved in all of the cases. The case of pulmonary embolism and the case of acute myocardial infarction were successfully weaned from ECLS without complications. They were later discharged ambulatory from the hospital. The patient with pulmonary arterial thrombosis, who was comatose, became alert after the initiation of ECLS. However the patient finally died due to diffuse and massive pulmonary arterial thrombosis, which was probably related to protein C deficiency. The patient with thoracic contusion was also comatose before ECLS. He did not recover from the coma and died soon after the disconnection of ECLS. The latter two cases were suspected to have had irreversible organ failures not responsive to mechanical support of both circulation and respiration. We conclude that ECLS is a very useful method for patients requiring prolonged cardiac massage following cardiac arrest.
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PMID:Extracorporeal life support for patients undergoing prolonged external cardiac massage. 844 87

We investigated hemostatic abnormalities in 37 patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) (PE patients) and in 40 patients with DVT without PE (DVT patients). Plasma fibrinogen, thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), plasmin-plasmin inhibitor complex, fibrin-D-dimer, activated protein C (APC)-protein C inhibitor (PCI) complex, von Willebrand factor (vWf), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), PA inhibitor-I (PAI-1), and thrombomodulin levels in both PE and DVT patients were significantly increased compared with normal volunteers. Plasma APC-PCI complex, PAI-1, and vWf levels in PE patients were significantly higher than those in DVT patients without PE. These findings indicate that PE patients are more hypercoagulable and hypofibrinolytic than DVT patients. Plasma TAT, APC-PCI complex, PAI-1, and vWf levels were the most sensitive indicators for PE. In these patients, increases in TAT and APC-PCI complex suggest DVT and increased PAI-1 and vWf suggest the risk of onset of PE.
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PMID:Hemostatic abnormalities in patients with pulmonary embolism compared with that in deep vein thrombosis. 856 33

Rudolf Virchow described not only his famous triad in the 1840s but also the relationship between thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was recognized as postoperative complication from the 1890s. The preventive measures were directed against the factor blood stasis until heparin was applied clinically in the 1930s. The Swiss surgeon K. Lenggenhager was probably the first who recommended low dose heparin prophylaxis in 1940 on a rational experimental basis. Perhaps because his results were published only in German this application form became not popular before the great studies of Kakkar in the 70s took place. The introduction of low molecular weight heparins in the 80s simplifies prophylaxis and therapy of DVT again. The descriptions of deficiency of natural coagulation inhibitors start with antithrombin III in 1961. The recent discovery of the molecular basis of activated protein C resistance made history today.
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PMID:[From the history of thrombosis prevention and treatment]. 865 46

Plasma levels of selected coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters (activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, fibrinogen, antithrombin III, protein C, thrombin-anti-thrombin III complexes (TAT), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), plasminogen, alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor) were evaluated in 90 patients with clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism (PE). Plasma levels of fibrinogen, PAI-1 and TAT were significantly higher in patients than in controls (p < 0.01): evaluation of TAT displayed a sensitivity of 96.1% and specificity of 30.8%, and positive and negative predictive values of 64.5 and 85.7%, respectively. The number of nonperfused lung segments correlated directly with TAT levels (p < 0.01) and inversely with arterial pO2 values (p < 0.01). No significant difference was found in the other parameters between patients and controls. Our results suggest that the finding of normal TAT plasma levels can help to exclude PE in patients with clinically suspected PE.
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PMID:Thrombin-antithrombin III complexes as an additional diagnostic aid in pulmonary embolism. 869 74

Hereditary protein S deficiency (HSPD) is a predisposing factor to recurrent venous thrombosis but is not currently associated with stroke. We report two cases of HSPD revealed by stroke in young adults. The first one was a 36-year-old patient whith a pure motor hemiplegia, who gradually recovered without sequelae. Total and free protein S was decreased (55 and 10%). One of his brothers died from pulmonary embolism at 20 years and a sister had low protein S level without clinical signs. The second case was a 26-year-old patient who had a right hemiplegia with aphasia due to an infarction in middle cerebral artery area. He partially recovered, but the course of the illness was complicated by deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs and pulmonary embolism. Total and free serum protein S level was severely decreased (25 and 0%). The patient's mother and one of his sisters also had low protein S but never had clinical complications. In both case, dupplex scanning, transcranial doppler, echocardiography, serum antithrombin III and protein C were normal. Cigarette smoking was the only risk factor for arterial disease. These two cases suggest that HSPD must be investigated in young patients with stroke, even in cases of lacunar stroke.
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PMID:[Cerebrovascular complications and hereditary protein S deficiency: 2 cases]. 876 59

The diagnosis of thromboembolic diseases is still difficult to establish before the occurrence of the pathological event, although it is now known that they are the result of a progressive alteration of the cardiovascular system. Introduction of new diagnostic tools for the evaluation of the thromboresistance capacity of the body or for the measurement of molecular markers allows the testing of the body defenses against thrombosis which is becoming a routine clinical diagnosis. Antithrombin III (AT III), protein C, protein S, and parameters of fibrinolysis have been recognized to be very important anticoagulant proteins and regulators of thrombin formation and thrombus extension. Furthermore, a normal factor V is necessary for the normal function of the protein C pathway. The presence of a factor V mutation leads to the activated protein C resistance syndrome. However, the major incidence of thrombotic events concerns the overall population. It has been epidemiologically related to the existence of risk factors producing blood activation, which progressively saturates the body's thromboresistance. This period is clinically silent for a long time. The new molecular markers recently introduced can show the existence of a preclinical state of blood activation at the plasma level (fibrinopeptide A, thrombin-antithrombin complexes, modified antithrombin III, fragments 1 + 2 of prothrombin, D-dimer) or at the platelet level (B-thromboglobulin, platelet factor 4, and thrombospondin), and promising developments concern the endothelial level (soluble thrombomodulin). The most universally used blood activation test is the D-dimer assay. This analyte has become very popular in past years for its high sensitivity, its long half-life, and its easy detection directly on citrated plasma. Its negative predictive value (in deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) as well as its use for monitoring of thrombotic risk in the post-operative period have been well documented clinically. New investigations are initiated to find analytes reflecting endothelial damage, an early platelet activation, or the involvement of blood cells (mainly monocytes and neutrophils) in abnormal processes. It also becomes possible to evaluate directly pathological causes inducing blood activation, such as the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies or other autoimmune antibodies.
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PMID:Thromboembolic diseases: biochemical mechanisms and new possibilities of biological diagnosis. 880 28

The clinical history of well-documented personal or familial episodes of thromboembolism with systematic construction of a genealogical tree orients the diagnosis of hereditary or acquired thrombophilia. The presence of favorable medical or surgical conditions for pulmonary embolism (surgical operation, prolonged bed rest, oral contraception, pregnancy, etc) are commonly observed in thrombophilia. Young age, under 40, at the time of the first episode, the recurrent nature of thromboses and a positive family history are three criteria in favour of the diagnosis of hereditary thrombophilia. Laboratory tests should be performed, if possible anticoagulant therapy, or taking into account its effect on the results, heparin reducing the antithrombin level and the oral anticoagulants those of proteins C and S and affecting the "classical" test of resistance to activated protein C. This abnormality is observed in nearly 20% of patients with previous thromboembolism in familial thrombophilia whereas it is twice less common in deficits of antithrombin, protein C and protein S. The other more or less acknowledged causes, alteration of plasminogen, dysfibrinogenaemia, homocysteinaemia, particular blood diseases, indicating systematic association of a full blood count with blood clotting tests, are much more rare. Of the acquired thrombophilias, the commonest is the presence of circulating anticoagulant and/or anticardiolipine antibodies, these two conditions also requiring systematic investigation. Biological examinations for determining the cause of unexpected pulmonary embolism is essential but should not delay instauring treatment. It should be associated with a familial enquiry if the patient has a hereditary thrombophilia. Interpretation of the results should obey the rule of the 3 cs: is the biological abnormality the cause, a coincidence or the consequence of the affection?
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PMID:[Study of hemostasis in patients with a recent thromboembolic complication]. 881 42

The effect of oral contraceptive therapy was studied in five patients with homozygous activated protein C resistance. Patients with this congenital abnormality, in contrast to those with antithrombin, protein C or protein S deficiencies, showed only a mild thrombotic tendency. In fact, only two of six observations (one patient took the pill on two separate occasions many years apart) showed deep vein thrombosis. No patient had pulmonary embolism. Two additional patients had a superficial vein thrombosis of the legs. In two instances, a superficial vein thrombosis and a deep vein thrombosis, concomitant risk factors were present (immobilization and surgery for an ovarian cyst, respectively). However, compared with heterozygous for the same abnormality, the symptomatic homozygous patients with APC resistance appeared to develop thrombosis after a shorter period of oral contraception.
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PMID:Homozygous patients with APC resistance may remain paucisymptomatic or asymptomatic during oral contraception. 889 47

Resistance to activated protein C (APC resistance) was measured in 284 individuals (169 females, 115 males) with a history of objectively confirmed venous thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism. A decreased APC resistance ratio was found in 75 patients (26%), 47 were females, 28 males. Factor V Leiden was investigated in 60 of 75 patients with APC resistance, of whom 46 were heterozygous, 4 homozygous. In 10 APC resistant patients the Arg 506 Glu mutation was not identified. The median age of the first thromboembolic event in patients with APC resistance was 42 years (range 15-82 years). Most patients had a history of deep vein thrombosis (83%), 28% had experienced pulmonary embolism. More unusual sites of thrombosis were the deep arm veins (7%) and mesenteric veins (one patient, 1.3%). 53% of patients developed the first thromboembolic event spontaneously. Precipitating conditions for thromboembolism were surgery in 9.3% and trauma in 8%. In one third of female patients the first thromboembolic event occurred in conjunction with pregnancy and delivery (14.8%) or oral contraceptives (19%). At the time of investigation 40% of patients with APC resistance had experienced recurrent thromboembolic events. The family history was positive in 60% of patients. We conclude that the clinical feature of APC resistance is similar to the feature of a deficiency of antithrombin, protein C and protein S. Pregnancy, delivery and oral contraceptives seem to be a relevant additional risk factors for thrombosis in females with APC resistance.
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PMID:Thrombotic tendency in 75 symptomatic, unrelated patients with APC resistance. 892 76


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