Summary
We tested the hypothesis that plasma fibrin clot structure/function is unfavourably
altered in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Ex vivo plasma clot permeability, turbidity and susceptibility to lysis were determined in
126 consecutive patients with APS enrolled five months or more since thrombotic event
vs 105 controls. Patients with both primary and secondary APS were characterised by
11% lower clot permeability (p<0.001), 4.8% shorter lag phase (p<0.001), 10% longer
clot lysis time (p<0.001), and 4.7% higher maximum level of D-dimer released from
clots (p=0.02) as compared to the controls. Scanning electron microscopy images confirmed
denser fibrin networks composed of thinner fibres in APS. Clots from patients with
“triple-antibody positivity” were formed after shorter lag phase (p=0.019) and were
lysed at a slower rate (p=0.004) than in the remainder. Clots from APS patients who
experienced stroke and/or myocardial infarction were 8% less permeable (p=0.01) and
susceptible to lysis (10.4% longer clot lysis time [p=0.006] and 4.5% slower release
of D-dimer from clots [p=0.01]) compared with those following venous thromboembolism
alone. Multivariate analysis adjusted for potential confounders showed that in APS
patients, lupus anticoagulant and “triple-positivity” were the independent predictors
of clot permeability, while “triple-positivity” predicted lysis time. We conclude
that APS is associated with prothrombotic plasma fibrin clot phenotype, with more
pronounced abnormalities in arterial thrombosis. Molecular background for this novel
prothrombotic mechanism in APS remains to be established.
Keywords
Antiphospholipid syndrome - plasma fibrin clot structure - fibrinolysis