Background: Sepsis is characterized by a simultaneous activation of inflammation and hemostasis in response to microbial infection. This systemic inflammatory response is due to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, pro-coagulants and adhesion molecules from immune cells and/or damaged endothelial tissue.
Aims: This study was designed to profile coagulation parameters in a defined clinically confirmed sepsis population in conjunction with an IRB approved clinical trial.
Methods: Plasma samples from septic shock patients (n=78) were collected in citrated tubes within 72 hours of ICU at the University of Utah and Veteran’s Affair FFC Health Care System VAMC. Normal controls were comprised of 25 male and 25 female samples of citrated plasma (George King Biomedical, Overland Park, Kansas City). D-Dimer was measured using a commercially available sandwich ELISA methods. PT/INR, aPTT and fibrinogen measurements were based on clot-based assays. All results were compiled as mean ± SD and SEM.
Results: D-Dimer levels were markedly increase in sepsis patients (23-fold) in comparison to control. Significant elevation of clotting parameters such as PT/INR (2.0-fold), aPTT (2.5-fold) and fibrinogen (2.0-fold) was noted in the sepsis patients in comparison to controls. These differences were significant (p value ≤0.0009) for all of the parameters except fibrinogen (p value 0.4694). There was no correlation between D-dimer and fibrinogen in the sepsis patients.
Conclusions: The marked prolongation of PT and aPTT are suggestive of both the extrinsic and intrinsic pathway defects and consumption of clotting factors. The fibrinogen levels were also elevated and nearly 1/3 of the patients showed >1000 mg/dL levels. Marked elevation of D-Dimer is indicative of endogenous fibrin formation and its consumption consistent with activation of fibrinolysis. These results further underscore the importance of including the clotting parameters and D-dimer in scoring the coagulopathies associated with sepsis such as disseminated intravascular coagulation.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Joshi D, Bontekoe E, Rondina M, Middleton E, Blair A, Siddiqui F, Hoppensteadt D, Fareed J. Altered Coagulation Parameters and D-Dimer Measurements in Sepsis Are Useful in Scoring the Risk Stratification [abstract]. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2020; 4 (Suppl 1). https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/altered-coagulation-parameters-and-d-dimer-measurements-in-sepsis-are-useful-in-scoring-the-risk-stratification/. Accessed November 26, 2020.« Back to ISTH 2020 Congress
ISTH Congress Abstracts - https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/altered-coagulation-parameters-and-d-dimer-measurements-in-sepsis-are-useful-in-scoring-the-risk-stratification/