Extracellular vesicle-associated procoagulant activity is highest the first 3 hours after trauma and thereafter declines substantially: A prospective observational pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Trauma patients have high concentrations of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) following injury, but the functional role of EVs in this setting is only partly deciphered. We aimed to describe in detail EV-associated procoagulant activity in individual trauma patients during the first 12 hours after injury to explore their putative function and relate findings to relevant trauma characteristics and outcome. METHODS: In a prospective observational study of 33 convenience recruited trauma patients, citrated plasma samples were obtained at trauma center admission and 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours thereafter. We measured thrombin generation from isolated EVs and the procoagulant activity of phosphatidylserine (PS)-exposing EVs. Correlation and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to explore associations between EV-associated procoagulant activity and trauma characteristics as well as outcome measures. RESULTS: EV-associated procoagulant activity was highest in the first 3 hours after injury. EV-associated thrombin generation normalized within 7 to 12 hours of injury, whereas the procoagulant activity of PS-exposing EVs declined to a level right above that of healthy volunteers. Increased EV-associated procoagulant activity at admission was associated with higher New Injury Severity Score, lower admission base excess, higher admission international normalized ratio, prolonged admission activated partial thromboplastin time, higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score at day 0, and fewer ventilator-free days. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that EVs have a transient hypercoagulable function and may play a role in the early phase of hemostasis after injury. The role of EVs in trauma-induced coagulopathy and posttraumatic thrombosis should be studied bearing in mind this novel temporal pattern. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic/epidemiologic, level V.

Molecular Characterization of Two Homozygous Factor VII Variants Associated with Intracranial Bleeding.

Clinical parameters have been extensively studied in factor (F) VII deficiency, but the knowledge of molecular mechanisms of this disease is scarce. We report on three probands with intracranial bleeds at an early age, one of which had concomitant high titer of FVII inhibitor. The aim of the present study was to identify the causative mutations and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. All nine F7 exons were sequenced in the probands and the closest family members. A homozygous deletion in exon 1, leading to a frame shift and generation of a premature stop codon (p.C10Pfs*16), was found in proband 1. Probands 2 and 3 (siblings) were homozygous for a missense mutation in exon 8, resulting in a glycine (G) to arginine (R) substitution at amino acid 240 (p.G240R). All probands had severely reduced FVII activity (FVII:C < 1 IU/dL). Treatment consisted of recombinant FVIIa and/or plasma concentrate, and proband 1 developed a FVII inhibitor shortly after initiation of treatment. The FVII variants were overexpressed in mammalian cell lines. No FVII protein was produced in cells expressing the p.C10Pfs*16 variant, and the inhibitor development in proband 1 was likely linked to the complete absence of circulating FVII. Structural analysis suggested that the G to R substitution in FVII found in probands 2 and 3 would destabilize the protein structure, and cell studies demonstrated a defective intracellular transport and increased endoplasmic reticulum stress. The molecular mechanism underlying the p.G240R variant could be reduced secretion caused by protein destabilization and misfolding.

The impact of rivaroxaban on primary hemostasis in patients with venous thrombosis.

Factor Xa inhibitors are safe and effective alternatives to warfarin, but several studies indicate that rivaroxaban may cause a different risk profile for bleeding. For instance, while the risk of major bleeding in general may be lower with rivaroxaban than for warfarin, the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding or abnormal uterine bleeding may be higher. The underlying mechanisms for these differences are not known, and the effect of rivaroxaban on primary hemostasis is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of rivaroxaban on platelet function, P-selectin and von Willebrand factor (VWF) antigen and activity. Patients with venous thrombosis assigned to 3 months of treatment due to temporary risk factors were included. Blood was collected both during (on-treatment) and 4-6 weeks after end of treatment (without treatment). The platelet reactivity was assessed by light transmission aggregometry. P-selectin was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and vWF antigen and activity by latex immunoagglutination assays. Platelet reactivity during on-treatment (trough- and peak concentration) was similar to values without treatment. There was a trend toward a reduction of P-selectin during rivaroxaban treatment (peak concentration) compared to value without treatment (p = 0.06). There were no differences in vWF antigen and activity between the different time-points. We found no difference in platelet reactivity or vWF antigen/activity during rivaroxaban treatment compared with values without treatment. Apart from possibly causing a reduction of P-selectin, rivaroxaban seems not to influence primary hemostasis.

Whole-blood incubation with the Neisseria meningitidis lpxL1 mutant induces less pro-inflammatory cytokines than the wild type, and IL-10 reduces the MyD88-dependent cytokines.

Levels of bacterial LPS, pro-inflammatory cytokines and IL-10 are related to the severity of meningococcal septicaemia. Patients infected with a Neisseria meninigitidis lpxL1 mutant ( Nm-mutant) with penta-acylated lipid A present with a milder meningococcal disease than those infected with hexa-acylated Nm wild type ( Nm-wt). The aim was to compare the pro-inflammatory responses after ex vivo incubation with the heat-inactivated Nm-wt or the Nm-mutant in citrated whole blood, and the modulating effects of IL-10. Concomitantly, we measured intracellular IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α to elucidate which cell types were responsible for the pro-inflammatory responses. Incubation with Nm-wt (106/ml;107/ml;108/ml) resulted in a dose-dependent increase of the MyD88-dependent pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α), which were mainly derived from monocytes. In comparison, only 108/ml of the Nm-mutant significantly increased the concentration of these cytokines. The MyD88-independent cytokines (IP-10, RANTES) were evidently increased after incubation with the Nm-wt but were unaffected by the Nm-mutant. Co-incubation with IL-10 significantly reduced the concentrations of the MyD88-dependent cytokines induced by both the Nm-wt and the Nm-mutant, whereas the MyD88-independent cytokines were almost unaffected. In summary, the Nm-mutant is a weaker inducer of the MyD88-dependent/independent cytokines than the Nm-wt in whole blood, and IL-10 attenuates the Nm-stimulated increase in MyD88-dependent pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The reversal effect of prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), activated PCC and recombinant activated factor VII against anticoagulation of Xa inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of patients are treated with direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs), but the optimal way to reverse the anticoagulant effect is not known. Specific antidotes are not available and prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), activated PCC (aPCC) and recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) are variously used as reversal agents in case of a major bleeding. We aimed to determine the most effective haemostatic agent and dose to reverse the effect of rivaroxaban in blood samples from patients taking rivaroxaban for therapeutic reasons. METHODS: Blood samples from rivaroxaban-treated patients (n = 50) were spiked with PCC, aPCC and rFVIIa at concentrations imitating 80%, 100% and 125% of suggested therapeutic doses. The reversal effect was assessed by thromboelastometry in whole blood and a thrombin generation assay (TGA) in platelet-poor plasma. Samples from healthy subjects (n = 40) were included as controls. RESULTS: In thromboelastometry measurements, aPCC and rFVIIa had a superior effect to PCC in reversing the rivaroxaban-induced lenghtening of clotting time (CT). aPCC was the only haemostatic agent that shortened the CT down to below the control level. Compared to healthy controls, patients on rivaroxaban also had a prolonged lag time and decreased peak concentration, velocity index and endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) in platelet-poor plasma. aPCC reversed these parameters more effectively than rFVIIa and PCC. There were no differences in efficacy between 80%, 100% and 125% doses of aPCC. CONCLUSIONS: aPCC seems to reverse the anticoagulant effect of rivaroxaban more effectively than rFVIIa and PCC by evaluation with thromboelastometry and TGA in vitro.

Fluorescent particles in the antibody solution result in false TF- and CD14-positive microparticles in flow cytometric analysis.

Tissue factor (TF)-positive microparticles (MPs) are highly procoagulant, and linked to thrombosis in sepsis and cancer. MP-associated TF may be assayed by immunological or functional methods. Several reports have demonstrated discrepancies between TF-protein and TF-activity, which have been explained by antibody binding to "encrypted" or degraded forms of inactive TF-protein. Our goal was to evaluate the possible interference of fluorescent antibody aggregates in solutions containing antibodies against TF and CD14 in flow cytometric analysis. Using monocyte-derived microparticles (MPs) released from human monocytes, incubated with or without lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in vitro, we measured MP-associated TF-protein (flow cytometry) and TF-activity (clot formation assay). MPs released from monocytes exposed to LPS (1 ng mL(-1) ) had ∼14 times higher TF-activity than MPs originated from monocytes exposed to only culture medium. However, using untreated anti-TF antibodies (American Diagnostica and BD) in the flow cytometric analysis, MPs released from unstimulated monocytes had a similar number of TF-positive events as MPs secernated from LPS-stimulated monocytes [∼45,000 events mL(-1) (American Diagnostica); ∼15,000 events mL(-1) (BD)]. These TF-positive events did not exert any TF-activity, and centrifugation (17,000g, 30 min, 4°C) of the antibody solutions prior to use effectively removed the interfering fluorescent events. Removal of fluorescent interference, probably in the form of fluorescent antibody aggregates, from the antibody solutions by centrifugation is essential to prevent the occurrence of false positive flow cytometric events. The events can be mistaken as MP-associated TF-protein, and interpreted as a discrepancy between TF-protein and TF-activity.