PubMed Indexed Publications
van Paridon PCS, Panova-Noeva M, van Oerle R, Schultz A, Hermanns IM, Prochaska JH, Arnold N, Binder H, Schmidtmann I, Beutel ME, Pfeiffer N, Münzel T, Lackner KJ, Ten Cate H, Wild PS, Spronk HMH. Thrombin generation in cardiovascular disease and mortality - results from the Gutenberg Health Study. Haematologica. 2020 Sep 1;105(9):2327-2334.
Thrombin generation may be a potential tool to improve risk stratification for cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to explore the relation between thrombin generation and cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular diseases, and total mortality. For this study, N=5000 subjects from the population-based Gutenberg Health Study were analysed in a highly standardized setting. Thrombin generation was assessed by the Calibrated Automated Thrombogram method at 1 and 5 pM tissue factors trigger in platelet poor plasma. Lag time, endogenous thrombin potential, and peak height were derived from the thrombin generation curve. Sex-specific multivariable linear regression analysis adjusted for age, cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular diseases and therapy, was used to assess clinical determinants of thrombin generation. Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors and vitamin K antagonists investigated the association between thrombin generation parameters and total mortality. Lag time was positively associated with obesity and dyslipidaemia for both sexes (p<0.0001). Obesity was also positively associated with endogenous thrombin potential in both sexes (p<0.0001) and peak height in males (1 pM tissue factor, p=0.0048) and females (p<0.0001). Cox regression models showed an increased mortality in individuals with lag time (1 pM tissue factor, hazard ratio=1.46, [95% CI: 1.07; 2.00], p=0.018) and endogenous thrombin potential (5 pM tissue factor, hazard ratio = 1.50, [1.06; 2.13], p=0.023) above the 95th percentile of the reference group, independent of the cardiovascular risk profile. This large-scale study demonstrates traditional cardiovascular risk factors, particularly obesity, as relevant determinants of thrombin generation. Lag time and endogenous thrombin potential were found as potentially relevant predictors of increased total mortality, which deserves further investigation.
van Paridon PCS, Panova-Noeva M, van Oerle R, Schulz A, Prochaska JH, Arnold N, Schmidtmann I, Beutel M, Pfeiffer N, Münzel T, Lackner KJ, Hackeng TM, Ten Cate H, Wild PS, Spronk HMH. Relation between Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor Activity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Diseases in a Large Population Sample. Thromb Haemost. 2021 Feb;121(2):174-181.
Objective: Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is a potent anticoagulant protein in the extrinsic coagulation pathway. In the present study, we aim to identify the cardiovascular determinants for total TFPI activity and its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality.
Methods: Total TFPI activity was assessed in a selection of the population-based Gutenberg Health Study (n = 5,000). Statistical analysis was performed to identify the determinants for total TFPI activity as well as the associations with CVD and mortality.
Results: Multivariable linear regression analysis identified smoking (β 0.095 [0.054-0.136]) as a positive determinant for total TFPI activity, while diabetes (β -0.072 [-0.134 to -0.009]), obesity (β-0.063 [-0.101 to -0.024]), and history of coronary artery disease (CAD) were negatively associated with total TFPI activity, independent of age, sex, and the remaining cardiovascular risk factors. After adjustment for lipoprotein levels, the association between total TFPI activity levels and obesity and CAD was lost. The analysis additionally revealed a strong positive association between total TFPI activity levels and low-density lipoprotein (β 0.221 [0.204-0.237]). The Cox regression models revealed that a higher total TFPI activity, above 97.5th percentile of the reference group, was associated with an increased mortality risk (hazard ratio = 2.58 [95% confidence interval: 1.49-4.47]), independent of age, sex, and cardiovascular risk profile.
Conclusion: In the Gutenberg Health Study population-based cohort, the highest percentage of total TFPI correlated with an increased mortality risk. While elevated TFPI may reflect endothelial cell activation, the associations between total TFPI activity and obesity and CAD, points to additional mechanistic interactions.