Abstract
In order to evaluate precisely the blood coagulation and fibrinolytic state of hematologically malignant diseases, we measured plasma levels of D-dimer, thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), plasm-α2 plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen (PAT-1 antigen) by ELISA in 6 patients with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) and in 6 patients with malignant lymphoma (ML) before and after chemotherapy.
The mean plasma levels of TAT, D-dimer, PIC and PAT-1 antigen before therapy were 6.42±2.77ng/ml, 406.11±237.54ng/ml, 1.31±0.54μg/ml and 51.09±39.0ng/ml, respectively. These values were significantly higher than those in normal controls. The mean plasma levels of D-dimer, TAT and PIC at 24-48 hours after chemotherapy were remarkably higher than those before chemotherapy.
The PAI-1 antigen levels were not changed at all after therapy.
In most patients with AML, the plasma levels of D-dimer, TAT and PIC were clearly increased at 24-48 hours after chemotherapy, but not in patients with ML. One patient with NHL who had remarkably higher levels of D-dimer, TAT and PIC than other patients with ML died of pulmonary embolism. In conclusion, anticoagulant therapy must be neccesary for patients with higher levels of D-dimer, TAT and PIC.
