Summary
The hemostatic abnormality in 18 patients with adult T cell leukemia (ATL) was studied.
Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) was slightly prolonged and prekallikrein
activity was markedly low in these patients. The leukemic cell homogenate from these
patients prolonged the recalcification time (RCT) of normal plasma; homogenates containing
more than 3 ×103 cells/μi prolonged it, although a lower cell concentration shortened it. The crude
anticoagulant fraction from the gel filtration, with a molecular weight of about 34,000,
prolonged RCT. The crude anticoagulant did not affect prothrombin time (PT), thrombin
activity or activated X activity at any concentration, but prolonged the contact activation
test, inhibited the activation of prekallikrein and prolonged RCT of Fletcher trait,
Fitzgerald trait and F XII deficient plasma. These effects of ATL cell homo-genate
were stronger on platelet poor plasma than on platelet rich plasma. Although ATL cells
had low procoagulant activity, increase of leukemic cells made anticoagulant activity
predominant, might be the cause of hemostatic abnormality or amplify the bleeding
tendency in patients with ATL.
Keywords
Anticoagulant activity - Adult T cell leukemia (ATL) - Leukemic cell homogenate -
Prekallikrein - Contact phase of coagulation system