Von Willebrand factor assays in patients with acquired immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura treated with caplacizumab.

Acquired immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis if undiagnosed. It is caused by autoantibody production to the von Willebrand factor (VWF) cleaving protease, A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13). Caplacizumab, an immunoglobulin directed to the platelet glycoprotein Ibα receptor of VWF, has been reported to induce quicker resolution of iTTP compared to placebo. The laboratory measurement of VWF activity was significantly reduced in clinical trials of caplacizumab. Several VWF assays are available in the UK and this study investigated whether differences in VWF parameters were present in 11 patients diagnosed with iTTP and treated with daily caplacizumab. Chromogenic factor VIII activity, VWF antigen, collagen binding activity, VWF multimers and six VWF activity assays were measured prior to caplacizumab therapy and on several occasions during treatment. VWF antigen and collagen binding activity levels were normal or borderline normal in all patients. Ultra-large molecular weight multimers were present in all patients following treatment. VWF activity assays were normal or reduced during treatment, but this was reagent and patient dependant. In the unusual scenario of a caplacizumab-treated patient requiring measurement of VWF activity, it is important that laboratories understand how their local reagents perform as results cannot be predicted.

Cross-reacting recombinant porcine FVIII inhibitors in patients with acquired haemophilia A.

INTRODUCTION: Acquired haemophilia A (AHA) is a rare bleeding disorder caused by the development of autoantibodies to endogenous human factor VIII (hFVIII). If treatment of bleeding is required, one option is recombinant porcine FVIII (rpFVIII). Cross-reactivity between factor VIII inhibitors and rpFVIII has previously been described. AIM: The aim of this study was to retrospectively assess the incidence of cross-reacting anti-porcine inhibitors in patients diagnosed with AHA in two UK centres. METHODS: The plasma of fifty-one patients diagnosed with AHA via reduced FVIII:C and positive FVIII inhibitor titre as detected with a Nijmegen-Bethesda assay (NBA) was also tested by a porcine Bethesda assay (PBA). The NBA was modified by replacement of human FVIII with rpFVIII in the PBA, with determination of residual FVIII by one-stage clotting assay. RESULTS: The median FVIII inhibitor titre by NBA was 22.8 BU/mL (range: 0.8-1000 BU/mL). 37% of samples exhibited linear, type 1 kinetics in the NBA. Negative PBA was observed in 26 patients, and 25 were positive (median PBA: 3.5 BU/mL; range: 0.8-120 BU/mL). Type 1 kinetics were observed in 40% of PBA-positive patients. At NBA tires of greater than 100 BU/mL, the positive predictive value for the presence of porcine cross-reactivity was 100%. At NBA below 5 BU/mL, the negative predictive value for the presence of porcine cross-reactivity was 71%. CONCLUSION: Cross-reactivity between FVIII inhibitors and rpFVIII was observed in 49% of patients. The presence of inhibitors to rpFVIII may influence the treatment choice for patients with acquired haemophilia A.

A cost-effective approach to factor assay calibration using a truncated live calibration curve.

INTRODUCTION: The measurements of clotting factor activities are usually performed using a one-stage clotting assay (OSA) or chromogenic substrate assay (CSA). Advances in automated coagulation analysers have led to the utilization of stored calibration curves. There are sometimes substantial intervals between test calibration and analysis of samples. Variability in results can be influenced by calibrant and methodology. Several guidelines recommend calibration and patient samples be performed together in parallel; this incurs costs, but reliance on a stored calibration curve may lead to inaccuracy of results over time. METHODS: We evaluated inclusion of a live truncated (3 point) calibration curve using calibrator plasma alongside test samples and compared results calculated against the stored calibration curves and live truncated calibration to assess the impact on precision and accuracy. The feasibility of this was tested on two hospital sites in the UK; OSA and CSA were performed on Sysmex CS5100 using Actin FS, SynthASil, Innovin, Biophen chromogenic VIII and Rossix chromogenic IX. RESULTS: Results of two batches of IQC were compared for FII, FV, FVII, FX, FIX:C, FXI, FXII and OSA FVIII (FVIII:C1) and CSA FVIII:C (FVIII:CR) and FXI:C. By utilizing a live truncated calibration, precision improved with the most striking examples: FXII %CV 23.1% to 3.1% (site A) FXI 7.3% to 2.4% (site B). The improvement in other clotting factors was more modest. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates that the use of a live truncated calibration curve will improve precision and accuracy.

A rapid, automated VWF ristocetin cofactor activity assay improves reliability in the diagnosis of Von Willebrand disease.

INTRODUCTION: The effective diagnosis and monitoring of Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) requires an accurate assessment of ristocetin co-factor activity (VWF:RCo). Current methodologies include automated platelet aggregometry and manual visual agglutination both of which are laborious to perform and notoriously subject to a high degree of inter and intra assay variation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We have evaluated an automated VWF:RCo assay (BC Von Willebrand Reagent, Siemens, Marberg, Germany) for use on the Sysmex CS2100i analyser (Milton Keynes, UK) and retrospectively compared the results with an in-house manual visual agglutination assay and VWF antigen (Siemens) in normal subjects and in 53 patients with various types of VWD and 23 patients following VWF therapeutic treatment. RESULTS: The intra and interassay CV was improved with the automated assay (2.3% and 3.8% respectively) compared to 7% with the manual VWF:RCo assay. Good correlation was found between the two assays (r=0.91) in 53 patients with VWD. The mean manual VWF:RCo was 0.25IU/ml and mean automated VWF:RCo was 0.27IU/ml. A comparable increase in VWF:RCo following treatment, mostly with Desmopressin, was found in 13 patients with type 1 VWD (mean 3.9 fold increase with manual VWF:RCo and 3.1 fold with the automated VWF:RCo). In 13 patients with type 2 or 3 VWD following treatment mostly with concentrate , a higher increase was found with the automated VWF:RCo assay than the manual assay (mean 11.9 fold manually and mean 20.3 automated). CONCLUSION: The automated VWF:RCo assay shows enhanced precision and analysis time in this difficult and time consuming laboratory test and its introduction should greatly improve the reliability of VWF testing.