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Thromb Haemost 1992; 67(01): 161-165
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1648399
Original Articles
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

von Willebrand Factor in Plasma and Urine of Men with Premature Coronary Artery Disease

Angela M V Silveira
1   The Department of Blood Coagulation Research, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
,
Graciela Elgue
2   Clinical Chemistry and Blood Coagulation, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
,
Anders Hamsten
3   King Gustaf V Research Institute, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
,
Margareta Blombäck
2   Clinical Chemistry and Blood Coagulation, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 31 July 1989

Accepted after revision 01 July 1991

Publication Date:
02 July 2018 (online)

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Summary

Plasma and urine samples from 17 men who had suffered a myocardial infarction before the age of 45 years were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed for von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF), and compared with samples obtained from controls. The levels of vWF in plasma and its characteristic multimeric composition in the patient samples were not different from those of the controls. However, when analyzed for lower molecular weight components, plasma samples from some patients contained more degraded material than those of the controls as indicated by the presence of an extra protein band of vWF related material having a molecular weight of about 200 kDa. The levels in urine of vWF and the molecular weight of the fragments excreted did not differ between patients and controls. A relative increase in excretion of lower molecular fragments was, however, observed in the patient group. In a second group of 97 consecutive post-infarction patients under the age of 45 years the extra 200 kDa vWF band was found in 46% of the patients, whereas it was not detected in control plasmas. Taken together these findings suggest that degraded forms of vWF occur in normal plasma and that a more extensive degradation may occur in patients with coronary atherosclerosis, which could account for the relative increase in the excretion of lower molecular weight fragments observed in these patients.

 

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