Blood Coagulation Factor XIII in Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract

Previous reports on blood coagulation in ulcerative colitis have described increased values of Factor VIII, Factor IX, fibrinogen and platelet count, suggesting a state of hypercoagulability. The frequency of thrombosis in ulcerative colitis has been reported to be 1 to 2 per cent. In spite of such previous repors, there have been almost no studies on factor XIII in active ulcerative colitis. Factor XIII is considered to play an important role in the wound healing process. In our present study, we measured plasma factor XIII in 37 samples from 24 patients with ulcerative colitis of varying severity. W e found that the level of factor XIII was decreased during the active stage of ulcerative colitis and its value was inversely correlated with the severity of the disease. W e postulated that the mechanism responsible for the decrease of factor XIII in active colitis is the possible consumption of this factor in the inflamed colon.