Abstract
C1-inhibitor deficiency–associated hereditary angioedema (C1INH-HAE) is a rare congenital
swelling disorder caused by mutations in the SERPING1 gene. Despite evidence of a systemic procoagulant state in C1INH-HAE, dogma held
that this disorder was not associated with thrombotic pathologies. Recent population
scale epidemiological evidence has directly challenged this, with C1INH-HAE being
associated with a significantly increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). This
review considers the growing body of evidence supporting associations between HAE
and both a systemic procoagulant state and an increased risk of VTE. In the setting
of C1INH-HAE, the relationship between the observed procoagulant and thrombotic phenotypes
is a prime example of “where there's smoke, there's fire.” This review also discusses
the impact of C1INH-HAE disease modifying therapies on coagulation and VTE. Further,
the utility of preclinical mouse models of C1-inhibitor deficiency is considered.
Keywords
blood coagulation factors - C1-inhibitor protein - hereditary angioedema - venous
thrombosis - venous thromboembolism