Blood protein defects associated with thrombosis. Laboratory assessment

This review has stressed the common hereditary and acquired blood protein defects associated with thrombosis. The most common of the hereditary defects appear to be antithrombin, protein C, and protein S deficiency, and the most common acquired defects are anticardiolipin antibodies and the lupus anticoagulant. Therefore, these are the defects which should first be searched for in an individual with unexplained thrombosis. If these more common defects are not found, the rarer defects, including HC-II, plasminogen, or TPA deficiency, dysfibrinogenemia, elevated PAI-1, or heterozygous homocystinemia should be looked for. The incidence of activated protein C co-factor deficiency (APC resistance) is not yet clear but may also represent a common defect. PAI-1 defects may, with time, be shown to be common. Finding these defects has important implications for therapy for the individual patient and for the institution of family studies to identify, inform, and possibly treat others at risk. It is expected that as knowledge of hemostasis expands, more hereditary and acquired defects, such as elevated lipoprotein(a) or defects of extrinsic (tissue factor) pathway inhibitor (EPI, TFPI), may be associated with enhanced risks for thrombosis.