Extrinsic blood coagulation pathway and risk factors for thrombotic events in patients with essential thrombocythemia

INTRODUCTION    The clinical course of essential thrombocythemia (ET) is varied, and some patients do not exhibit any clinical signs of the disease at the time of diagnosis. The most frequent complications that occur during the course of ET are hemostasis abnormalities manifesting as hemorrhagic or thrombotic events. The mechanism of thrombotic events in patients with ET is complex and not fully understood. OBJECTIVES    The aim of the study was to evaluate the concentration and activity of tissue factor (TF) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), depending on the most important risk factors of thrombotic complications (age >60 years, history of thrombotic episodes, presence or absence of the JAK2 V617F mutation, and increased leukocyte count). PATIENTS AND METHODS    The study group included 113 patients with diagnosed ET, and the control group, 30 healthy volunteers matched for age and sex. The concentration and activity of TF and TFPI were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS    Patients with ET had a significantly higher activity and concentration of TF and increased activity of TFPI, as compared with controls. The analysis of the studied parameters in relation to risk factors revealed that patients with ET with a history of thrombotic events had a significantly higher concentration of TF, and patients with the JAK2 V617F mutation had a lower TFPI activity, as compared with patients without the mutation. CONCLUSIONS    Our study showed that in patients with ET who have a history of thrombosis or the JAK2 V617F mutation, the enhanced risk of thrombosis may result from an increased TF concentration or decreased TFPI activity.