Clinical utility of thrombin generation using ST-Genesia® in patients with hereditary and acquired thrombophilia: A...

The role of thrombin generation (TG) in the setting of thrombophilia testing remains unclear. Hence, we aimed to investigate the diagnostic utility of TG with ST-Genesia® instrument to discriminate between patients with and without different thrombophilias.

We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study of all non-anticoagulated patients who underwent conventional thrombophilia testing for factor V Leiden, prothrombin gene G20210A mutation (PTM), protein C, S and antithrombin deficiency (PCD, PSD, ATD), and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) because of previous venous thromboembolism (VTE), unexplained arterial thrombosis or a positive family history for VTE. To assess the diagnostic utility of TG, we calculated the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), thresholds for 85 %, 95 % and 99 % sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values and likelihood ratios, cohort-related diagnostic failure and efficacy rates and the diagnostic yield of each TG parameter for different thrombophilias.

A total of 467 patients were enrolled in the study, mostly investigated because of previous VTE (n = 283, 61 %). Thrombophilia testing was positive in 161/467 (35 %) patients. Normalized endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) effectively discriminated for ATD (AUC =79 [95 %CI 72-87]) and PTM (AUC 86 [95 %CI 79-93]) and ETP inhibition with thrombomodulin for PCD/PSD (AUC 90 [95 %CI 85-95]). With the established best performing TG parameter cut-offs, PCD/PSD, PTM, ATD, and low-risk APS could be safely (<3 % failure rate) excluded in 62 %, 58 %, 27 %, and 29 % of cohort patients, respectively.

TG assessment using ST-Genesia® system shows promise as a supportive screening tool in thrombophilia work-up and warrants further validation.