Calidad de las tromboplastinas utilizadas en el laboratorio clínico y en los equipos POCT y su impacto en la dosificación de acenocumarol en pacientes con terapia anticoagulante oral / Types of thromplastin used for INR determination in patients under chronic oral anticoagulant treatment: discrepancies that may affect the dose of coumarin derivatives needed for treatment safety

Antecedentes: El monitoreo del tratamiento con anticoagulantes cumarínicos se realiza a través del INR (International Normalized Ratio) que es el parámetro estandarizado del Tiempo de Protrombina. Las recomendaciones de la OMS indican que la precisión en el cálculo del INR puede ser mejorada usando reactivo de tromboplastina con Indice de Sensibilidad Internacional (ISI) bajo, considerándose como ISI de referencia internacional el valor 1,0. Debido a incongruencias observadas en los INR de pacientes controlados en el Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Occidente, comparando valores de muestra venosa con resultados de INR capilar obtenidos en el mismo paciente el mismo día y hora (con reactivos Tromboplastina de distinto ISI), se efectuó un ensayo clínico cruzado entre los distintos métodos. Materiales y métodos: En 100 pacientes se comparó INR venoso con dos tromboplastinas de diferente ISI (1,3 y 1,0) vs aquel efectuado con muestra capilar (ISI 1,0). Resultados: Los resultados del estudio muestran que a partir de valores de INR 3,0 las determinaciones obtenidas usando Tromboplastina de cerebro de conejo ISI=1,3 subestiman el valor de INR para un mismo paciente y una misma muestra. Conclusiones: El uso de Tromboplastina recombinante humana ISI 1,0 permite evitar la subestimación del INR en pacientes con mayor riesgo tromboembóli-co (indicación de INR objetivo más alto). Por ello, este método se adoptó en el control del TACO en pacientes controlados en el Servicio de Salud Occidente.

Background: INR (International Normalized Ratio) is the standard Prothrombin Time parameter for monitoring anticoagulant treatment with coumarin derivatives Recommendations of WHO indicate that precision in the calculation of the INR can be improved using thromboplastins with a low Index of International Sensibility (ISI=1,0). Discrepancies in INR obtained using either this technique or conventional rabbit brain derived reagents in the same sample in patients attending the Servicio de Salud Metropolitano Occidente (West Metropolitan Health Service) were observed. Our objective was to evaluate these discrepancies in a systematic way. Materials and methods: A comparative study was conducted using two thromboplastins of different ISI (1.0 and 1.3) for the calculation of venous INR in comparison with capillary INR in 100 patients. Results: The study showed that INR values may differ significantly according to the method used. In particular, rabbit brain thromboplastin ISI = 1.3 underestimates the value of INR in the range of INR ≥3.0. Conclusions: The use of human recombinant thromboplastin ISI= 1.0. for determination of INR may significantly decrease the risk of hemorrhagic complications in patients requiring higher levels of anticoagulation.

Discrepant sensitivity of thromboplastin reagents to clotting factor levels explored by the prothrombin time in patients on stable oral anticoagulant treatment: impact on the international normalized ratio system.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We tested the principle of local International Normalized Ratio (INR) calibration using INR calibrator plasmas (PT Calibration Plasma Kit, Behring), two thomboplastin reagents (Neoplastin plus, rabbit brain, Stago, and Recombiplastin, recombinant human tissue factor, Ortho Diagnostics) and the same coagulometer (STA, Stago) on 92 patients on stable oral anticoagulant treatment. DESIGN AND METHODS: A four-point calibration was obtained with each reagent by linear regression (sec/INR) on a log-log scale (r > or = 0.999). The bias between the two reagents (Recombiplastin - Neoplastin Plus) was reduced from 31.7% to 17.5% and 7.5% (p=0.001) when results were expressed, respectively, as PT ratio (using the mean normal prothrombin time as denominator term), INR (using instrument-specific ISI supplied by the manufacturers) and calibrated INR, but there was a consistently significant regression of the differences over the average values even after log transformation (r > or = 0.586). The bias between the reagents was reduced to 1% (p=ns) when assuming Recombiplastin as the reference thromboplastin and applying Tomenson's correction, but limits of agreements were as large as 20%. Factor VII, X, V and II activity was measured with the two thromboplastin reagents in all plasma samples using immunodepleted plasmas (Stago). RESULTS: Statistically significant biases were observed for all clotting factors with the two reagents (Recombiplastin Neoplastin Plus) and ranged from 3.5 % (FII) to 37.2% (FVII). In addition, for FVII and FV there was a significant regression of the difference over the average value (after log-transformation, r > or = 0.282). The patients were divided into 3 groups according to their degree of anticoagulation (INR <2.0; INR between 2.0 and 3.5; INR >3.5). Factor levels differed significantly with the two reagents throughout the 3 groups of patients. In addition, the relative distributions of the 3 vitamin K-dependent factors also differed in the 3 groups with the two thromboplastin reagents. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: The discrepant sensitivity to factor VII, X and V levels of the two thromboplastin reagents explored in this study prevents INR calibration with commercially available calibrator plasmas and is responsible for a significant variability in INR values even under optimal conditions of INR calibration.

[Use of domestic thromboplastins with attested international indices of sensitivity in the treatment of thrombophilia]. / Opyt primeneniia otechestvennykh tromboplastinov s attestovannym mezhdunarodnym indeksom chuvstvitel'nosti pri lechenii trombophilii.

Clinical evaluation of thromboplastins manufactured by RENAM (Moscow) with international index of sensitivity (IIS) 1.1-1.5 and comparison of the results with the data obtained in the same patients with foreign thromboplastins (Dade, USA; Behring, Germany; Diamed, Switzerland) and Mediolab thromboplastins (Russia) manufactured from different raw materials (rabbit brain and human placenta) showed that by sensitivity to indirect anticoagulants, Russian thromboplastins made by RENAM and Mediolab firms are not inferior to the best foreign analogs.

The clinical relevance of the citrate effect on International Normalized Ratio determinations depends on the reagent and instrument combination used.

Multiple studies have shown that the two different citrate concentrations in common use as the anticoagulant in blood collection for haemostasis assays can affect the results obtained with the prothrombin time assay. It is clear from the literature that there is considerable variability in the results obtained using different instrument-reagents combinations, but the clinical relevance of these differences is unclear. Most of the studies have used an optical system for end-point detection. This study reports on the citrate sensitivity using mechanical end-point detection. Using two different reagents, one previously shown to be citrate sensitive on optical systems (Neoplastin CI plus) and a citrate-insensitive reagent (Neoplastin CI), we demonstrate that the effect of using different citrate concentrations (0.105 or 0.129 mol/l) has statistically significant but clinically irrelevant effects on the International Normalized Ratio using a mechanical instrument (STA)-reagent combination (mean percentage difference in results, 1.9 and 3.8% respectively). This demonstrates that the citrate effect is both instrument type and reagent dependent. Every reagent and instrument combination needs to be tested to see whether any citrate effect exists. In a secondary study, it was shown that the international reference rabbit thromboplastin (CRM 149(s)) was not citrate-concentration sensitive.

Surgical management of patients on warfarin sodium.

PURPOSE: Management of anticoagulated patients has changed significantly over the past 10 years. The change occurred after the introduction of the international normalized ratio (INR) in 1983. This method of reporting prothrombin time for anticoagulated patients has resulted in a decrease in the level at which hematologists and cardiologists keep their patients anticoagulated. Currently, patients are anticoagulated less for the successful prevention of thromboemboli. Recent recommendations are to keep patients anticoagulated to an INR no greater than 3.5. It has been proposed that the extraction of teeth can be performed with INRs of 4 or less. Therefore, the current trend is to maintain patients on their anticoagulation regimens without altering their warfarin dosages. CONCLUSION: With proper local measures, teeth can be extracted safely and the development of thromboemboli in high-risk patients can still be prevented. However, with procedures having a high risk of bleeding, warfarin dosage may need to be modified.

Use of INR to assess degree of anticoagulation in patients who have dental procedures.

Dental professionals frequently treat patients who are receiving anticoagulation therapy. Proper treatment may require adjustment of the anticoagulant dose usually on the basis of the patient's current prothrombin time. This test has been shown to be less accurate than previously thought. The international normalized ratio is another method that attempts to standardize the degree of anticoagulation and to improve reproducibility of results. This system is slowly being implemented in laboratories in the United States. Practitioners who treat patients taking anticoagulants need to be aware of this system in order to make appropriate management decisions.