Fibrinolytic Activity in Patients with Essential Thrombocythemia

• Published in: Blood 2007-11, Vol.110 (11), p.3223-3223
• Main Authors: Sokolowska, Bozena, Nowaczynska, Aleksandra, Wejksza, Katarzyna, Walter-Croneck, Adam, Kandefer-Szerszen, Martyna, Gromek, Tomasz, Kowalska, M. Anna, Dmoszynska, Anna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood.V110.11.3223.3223

Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is characterized by bleeding tendency, thrombotic complications and qualitative platelet defects. All those abnormalities are likely to contribute to the excessive mortality rate of this disease. Among many specific morphological, biochemical and metabolic platelet defects, a complete loss of platelet responsiveness to epinephrine is the most frequent in these patients. Since an abnormal platelet fibrinolytic activity was suggested to contribute to bleeding tendency, our initial goal was to see if platelet fibrinolysis activity is impaired in patients with ET. 22 patients were enrolled into the study (17 females, 5 males age 57.2±13.0.). This group included: 6 untreated patients, 9 treated with anagrelide, 4 with hydroxyurea, and 3 treated with a combination of both drugs. 8 thrombotic complications and 2 clinically significant bleeding episodes occurred. The control group consisted of 6 females age 33.3±9.9. Platelet count was 777±333 x109/L and 257±70 x109/L p