Hypercoagulability during the Recovery Period for Leukocyte Count after Chemotherapy

Abstract

Leukocytes are though to participate in the progress of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) caused by severe infection such as sepsis. We have had the impression that DIC rarely occurs at the nadir of leukocyte counts induced by intensive chemotherapy despite the complicating severe infection. In this study, we compared hemostatic parameters at the nadir with those during the recovery period to investigate the role of leukocytes in the coagulation system. The levels of serum FDP were higher in the cases who died during the recovery period than in the cases who died at the nadir, although they were within normal limits at the nadir in the former group. There was no difference in the severity of inflammation between the two groups. It was suggested that the hypercoagulality trends to occur during the recovery period, if there is still severe infection, rather than at the nadir.