Plasma ADAMTS13, von Willebrand factor (VWF) and VWF propeptide profiles in patients with DIC and related diseases

ADAMTS13, endothelial von Willebrand factor (VWF) and related proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of some life threatening systemic thrombotic coagulopathies. Changes of plasma ADAMTS13 activity in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is well known but is also involved in septic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Here we investigated the ADAMTS13 activity, VWF and VWF propeptide (VWFpp) antigens in 69 patients with DIC, 143 with non-DIC, 21 with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and 23 with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) for diagnosis of DIC. The plasma ADAMTS13 activity was significantly low in patients with DIC, and the plasma levels of VWF and VWFpp antigens, were the highest in these patients, but there were no significant differences in the plasma VWFpp levels between the patients with DIC and those with aHUS. The difference in the plasma ADAMTS13 activity, the VWF and VWFpp antigens between DIC and non-DIC cases was significant in those with infectious and malignant diseases, but the difference in the VWFpp/ VWF ratio were significant only in subjects with infectious diseases. As an indicator for prognosis, the plasma levels of VWFpp were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors. Then, VWFpp/ VWF ratio and VWFpp/ADAMATS13 ratio will be potent informative indicators in DIC. These findings suggest that ADAMTS13/VWF profiles may have important roles in the pathogenesis of DIC, and that ADAMTS13 and VWFpp are useful indicators for the diagnosis and prognosis of DIC.