Coagulation imbalance may not contribute to the development of portal vein thrombosis in patients with cirrhosis

Abstract

Introduction: The relationship between the imbalance in pro- and anti-coagulant factors and portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in individuals with cirrhosis is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether the imbalance in pro- and anti-coagulant factors contributes to the development of PVT in cirrhotic patients.

Materials and methods: Blood samples were collected from 30 consecutive cirrhotic patients with PVT and 30 age-, sex-, and Child-Pugh score-matched cirrhotic patients without PVT (controls), and the plasma levels of coagulation factors II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII and of protein C (PC), protein S (PS) and antithrombin (AT) were analyzed. The ratios of pro- vs. anti-coagulant factors were further investigated.

Results: The levels of pro- and anti-coagulant factors were not statistically different between the PVT and control groups. Similar results were obtained when the patients were divided according to Child-Pugh classification. No difference was observed for the ratios of pro- vs. anti-coagulant factors between the two groups but the ratios of factor II-to-PC and factor VII-to-PC which were significantly decreased in the PVT group. Most of the ratios did not reach statistical significance in each Child-Pugh category except the followings: factor VIII-to-PS, factor XII-to-PC and factor XII-to-PS in class A patients; factor II-to-PS, factor VII-to-PC and factor VII-to-PS in class B patients. But the difference might not be so convincing.

Conclusions: PVT in cirrhotic patients may not result from coagulation imbalance.