Factor VIIa-antithrombin complexes in patients with non-neoplastic portal vein thrombosis with and without cirrhosis.

INTRODUCTION

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is caused by local and systemic prothrombotic risk factors. In this case-control study, we evaluated the use of the Factor VIIa-antithrombin complex (FVIIa-AT) complex assay as a hypercoagulability marker in patients with PVT.

METHODS

Two different groups of cases were considered: (i) n = 12 noncirrhotic PVT patients, (ii) n = 33 cirrhotic patients with PVT. Controls were sex and age-matched healthy volunteers and cirrhotic subjects without PVT, respectively.

RESULTS

Levels of the FVIIa-AT complex were significantly higher in noncirrhotic PVT subjects (132 ± 32 pM) than in healthy volunteers (108 ± 18 pM, P = 0.04). No significant difference in FVIIa-AT complexes was seen between cirrhotic patients with (64 ± 20 pM) or without (61 ± 24 pM) PVT. A linear correlation was seen between FVIIa-AT and FVIIa in noncirrhotic PVT subjects. In cirrhotic patients, FVIIa-AT complexes depended on both FVIIa and AT.

CONCLUSION

These results confirm the utility of the FVIIa-AT assay in identifying the hypercoagulable state of noncirrhotic patients because of a previous thrombotic event.