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Hypercoagulability and hyperfibrinolysis in patients with melanoma
B Bottasso1, D Mari, R Coppola
1Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, Milan, Italy.
Thrombosis Research
|February 1, 1996
Summary
Melanoma patients exhibit a hypercoagulable state with secondary hyperfibrinolysis. While markers of hypercoagulability are elevated in all melanoma patients compared to controls, differences between localized and metastatic disease are not significant.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Hematology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Melanoma is a significant malignancy.
- Coagulation and fibrinolysis play roles in cancer progression.
- Understanding the hypercoagulable state in melanoma is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hypercoagulability and fibrinolysis in melanoma patients.
- To compare coagulation markers between localized and metastatic melanoma.
- To assess the relationship between tumor stage and hemostatic balance.
Main Methods:
- Sensitive analytical methods were used to measure coagulation and fibrinolysis enzyme activity.
- Seventy-one melanoma patients (45 localized, 26 metastatic) were studied.
- Plasma levels of activated factor VII, prothrombin fragment 1+2, thrombin-antithrombin complex, fibrinopeptide A, plasmin-antiplasmin complex, and D-dimer were measured and compared to 45 controls.
Main Results:
- Melanoma patients showed significantly higher levels of all measured markers compared to controls.
- Thrombin-antithrombin complex, plasmin-antiplasmin complex, and D-dimer were significantly higher in patients with metastatic melanoma than in those with localized disease.
- Differences in hypercoagulability markers between localized and metastatic melanoma were not striking.
Conclusions:
- Patients with melanoma exhibit a laboratory picture of hypercoagulability with secondary hyperfibrinolysis.
- The in vivo hypercoagulable state is associated with tumors possessing high in vitro procoagulant activity.
- Despite in vitro differences, in vivo hypercoagulability markers do not significantly distinguish between localized and metastatic melanoma.