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Coagulation activity is increased in the left atrium of patients with mitral stenosis
1Department of Cardiology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan.
Insights
In mitral stenosis patients, the left atrium shows increased coagulation activation, indicated by higher levels of fibrinopeptide A and thrombin-antithrombin III complex. This activation occurs even with anticoagulation, suggesting a prothrombotic state.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hematology
- Thrombosis Research
Background:
- Systemic thromboembolism is a significant complication in mitral stenosis patients.
- The exact mechanisms driving thromboembolism in mitral stenosis remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hemostatic status within the right and left atria of patients diagnosed with mitral stenosis.
- To assess markers of platelet activity, thrombin generation, and fibrinolysis in different cardiac chambers.
Main Methods:
- Blood samples were collected from the peripheral vein, right atrium, and left atrium of 12 mitral stenosis patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty.
- Plasma levels of platelet factor 4, beta-thromboglobulin, fibrinopeptide A, thrombin-antithrombin III complex, D-dimer, and plasmin-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor complex were measured.
Main Results:
- Left atrial levels of fibrinopeptide A and thrombin-antithrombin III complex were significantly elevated compared to the right atrium (p < 0.02 and p < 0.01, respectively).
- No significant differences were observed in platelet activity markers or fibrinolysis markers between the atria.
- Peripheral blood levels of von Willebrand factor antigen were higher in patients than controls, but not different between cardiac chambers.
Conclusions:
- The coagulation system is demonstrably activated within the left atrium of mitral stenosis patients.
- This left atrial activation persists even when patients are undergoing anticoagulation therapy.
Objectives:
This study investigated the hemostatic status of the right and left atria in patients with mitral stenosis.
Background:
Systemic thromboembolism is a serious major complication in patients with mitral stenosis. However, the pathogenesis of thromboembolism in mitral stenosis is not fully understood.
Methods:
We determined the plasma levels of biochemical markers for platelet activity (platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin) and status of thrombin generation (fibrinopeptide A and thrombin-antithrombin III complex) and fibrinolysis (D-dimer and plasmin-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor complex) in specimens of blood obtained from the peripheral vein and right and left atria of 12 consecutive patients with mitral stenosis who were undergoing percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty.
Results:
Plasma levels of platelet factor 4, beta-thromboglobulin, D-dimer and plasmin-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor complex in the patients did not differ significantly between the right and left atria, whereas levels of fibrinopeptide A and thrombin-antithrombin III complex in the left atrium were significantly higher than those in the right atrium (fibrinopeptide A in the left and right atria 19.35 +/- 4.64 and 6.31 +/- 0.75 ng/ml [mean +/- SE], respectively, p < 0.02; thrombin-antithrombin III complex in the left and right atria 11.45 +/- 2.29 and 3.98 +/- 0.60 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.01). Levels of fibrinopeptide A and thrombin-antithrombin III complex in the left atrium did not correlate with mean transmitral gradient, dimension of the left atrium or reciprocal of the mitral valve area. Peripheral blood plasma levels of von Willebrand factor antigen were significantly higher in the patients than in an age-matched control group of normal subjects (168 +/- 25% and 99 +/- 7%, respectively, p < 0.05) but showed no difference in the peripheral blood and right and left atria of the patients.
Conclusions:
The coagulation system is activated in the left atrium of patients with mitral stenosis even during anticoagulation.