Increased inflammation and endothelial markers in patients with late severe post-thrombotic syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is a limiting long-term complication present in 20-50% of patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs. A panel of biomarkers with potential relevance to enhance knowledge on the pathophysiology of PTS was investigated. METHODS: This case-control study included 93 patients with DVT in the lower limbs, 31 with severe PTS (cases) and 62 with mild/no PTS (controls), over 24 months after an acute episode. Thirty-one healthy individuals (HI) with no history of DVT were included as a reference to the population. FVIII activity, D-dimer, inflammatory cytokines, endothelial dysfunction markers, matrix metalloproteinases, and their inhibitors, tissue remodeling and growth factor levels were evaluated. The classification of PTS was, by the Villalta scale. RESULTS: Patients with severe PTS showed elevated levels of CRP, sICAM-1, sE-selectin, and decreased MMP-9 and MCP-1 levels when compared to patients with mild/no PTS. Moreover, DVT patients presented higher levels of FVIII and D-dimer when compared to HI. CONCLUSIONS: DVT patients present an inflammatory status, endothelial dysfunction and altered proteolysis MMPs activity, even a long time after the acute thrombotic episode, which is more significant in severe PTS. These results suggest a possible role of these mediators in the maintenance and worsening of PTS severity.

Avaliação das propriedades adesivas de neutrófilos, eritrócitos e plaquetas de pacientes com tromboembolismo venoso / Evaluation of adhesive properties of neutrophils, erythrocytes and platelets in patients with venous thromboembolism

Tromboembolismo venoso (TEV) é uma doença multifatorial que afeta 1-3:1000 indivíduos mundialmente. A formação do trombo venoso na superfície endotelial é um processo multicelular, de estrutura laminar composta por camadas de plaquetas, leucócitos, eritrócitos e fibrina, originando uma resposta inflamatória loco-regional. A relação entre inflamação e coagulação é bidirecional. e tem sido principalmente avaliada através de interações de proteínas entre citocinas próinflamatórias e elementos da cascata de coagulação. As células inflamatórias tais como neutrófilos, não foram previamente correlacionadas com os processos trombóticos ou pró-coagulantes. Objetivo: Avaliar as propriedades adesivas de neutrófilos, eritrócitos e plaquetas, assim como a expressão das moléculas de adesão de superfície dos neutrófilos em pacientes com TEV, correlacionando-os com marcadores sistêmicos da resposta inflamatória, presença de trombo residual e D-dímero aumentado. Pacientes e Métodos: Foram incluídos neste estudo 10 pacientes com TEV agudo atendidos no Hospital de Clínicas da Unicamp (HCUNICAMP), 30 pacientes com TEV crônico (1 a 6 anos após o evento agudo), atendidos no Hemocentro de Campinas-UNICAMP, e controles normais pareados aos pacientes por idade, gênero e etnia. A adesão de neutrófilos, eritrócitos e plaquetas foram determinados através de ensaio estático usando fibronectina (FN) e fibrinogênio (FB) como ligantes. A expressão das moléculas de adesão dos neutrófilos (CD11a, CD11b, CD18) foi avaliada por citometria de fluxo. Os níveis dos marcadores inflamatórios (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-_ e PCR) foram avaliados por ELISA e nefelometria.

Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is a multifactorial disease that affects 1-3:1000 individuals worldwide. The venous thrombus develops via a multicellular process on the surface of the endothelium and presents a laminar structure comprised of layers of platelets, leukocytes, erythrocytes and fibrin. The relationship between inflammation and coagulation is bidirectional, and has been mainly evaluated through protein interactions between pro-inflammatory cytokines and elements of the coagulation cascade. Inflammatory cells such as neutrophils, have not been previously correlated with thrombotic or procoagulant processes. Objective: To evaluate the adhesive properties of neutrophils, erythrocytes and platelets, as well as the expression of neutrophil adhesion molecules in patients with VTE, correlating them with markers of the systemic inflammatory response, and with the presence of residual vein obstruction (RVO) and higher D-dimer (DD). Patients and Methods: Study group consisted of 30 chronic VTE patients (1-6 years after the acute episode) followed in our outpatient clinic, and 10 patients with VTE during the acute episode treated at the Hospital of Clinics (HC-UNICAMP) Campinas, as well as age, gender and ethnic background-matched healthy. Adhesive properties of neutrophils, erythrocytes and platelets were determined by a static adhesion assay using ligands such as fibrinogen (FB) and fibronectin (FN). The expression of neutrophils adhesion molecules (CD11a, CD11b, CD18) was evaluated by flow cytometry. Levels of inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-_, PCR) were evaluated by ELISA and nephelometry. RVO was evaluated by Doppler ultrasound and DD by coagulometric method. Results: No significant difference could be observed in the platelets adhesion (basal: 16.37% vs. 14.59%, p=0.309; and stimulated with thrombin: 33.45% vs. 26.62%, p=0.200) and erythrocytes adhesion (7.28% vs 7.49%, p=0.859) between chronic VTE patients and healthy individuals.