Abstract

MOLNAR, Soledad et al. Procoagulant factors in patients with cancer. Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2006, vol.40, n.4, pp.483-489. ISSN 0325-2957.

The objectives of the present study were to determine the tissue factor (FT) and cancer procoagulant (PC) levels in patients with neoplasic diseases in order to establish: 1) if there is association between the presence of both markers and the tumor origin; 2) if the levels of these procoagulant proteins are correlated with stages I/II or III/IV of the disease; 3) if treatment with chemotherapy modifies the FT and PC serum levels and, finally 4) to evaluate if these procoagulants could be used as predictive markers in thrombosis development . Sixty-one patients with different types of cancer were included: lung (n=14), breast (n=19), digestive (n=13) and genitourinary (n=12) and normal controls (n=20). The results demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 87.9% and 85% for PC and of 72.4% and 100% for FT, respectively. Patients with genitourinary cancer displayed the highest values of both procoagulants in agreement with the greatest prevalence of thrombosis observed in this group. None of them enabled differentiation between stages I-II and III-IV of the disease. On the other hand, the chemotherapy treatment did not modify the levels of any procoagulant. A clinical and laboratory follow-up based on the treatment would be important in order to establish the value of these procoagulants levels and their propensity to develop thrombosis in cancer patients.

Keywords : thrombosis; cancer; tissue factor; cancer procoagulant.

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