SummaryThis study was performed to determine the accuracy of D-Dimer fibrin derivatives, thrombin-antithrombin III (TAT) complexes and prothrombin fragments 1 + 2 (F 1 + 2) determinations for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). One hundred and sixteen consecutive patients referred to the angiology unit of our hospital for a clinically suspected DVT were investigated. They were submitted to mercury strain gauge plethysmography and to ultrasonic duplex scanning examination; in cases of inconclusive results or of proximal DVT (n = 35), an ascending phlebography was performed. After these investigations were completed, the diagnosis of DVT was confirmed in 34 and excluded in 82. One half of the patients were already under anticoagulant therapy at the time of investigation. The 3 biological markers were assayed using commercially available ELISA techniques and the D-Dimer was also assayed with a fast latex method. The normal distribution of these markers was established in 40 healthy blood donors. The most accurate assay for the diagnosis of DVT was the D-Dimer ELISA which had both a high sensitivity (94%) and a high negative predictive value (95%). The D-Dirner latex, TAT complexes and F 1 + 2 were far less sensitive and provided negative predictive values which ranged between 78 and 85%. In spite of positive and significant correlations between the levels of ihe 3 markers, their association did not improve their overall accuracy for detecting D\/L Therefore, with the exception of the D-Dimer ELISA, these markers were of little value for the diagnosis of DVT in this specific population.

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Background: Low-molecular-weight heparins have been shown to be effective and safe in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis. To our knowledge, there have been no direct comparisons of such treatment on an outpatient vs an inpatient basis.

BackgroundThe “frailty syndrome” (a geriatric multidimensional condition characterized by decreased reserve and diminished resistance to stressors) represents a promising target of preventive interventions against disability in elders. Available screening tools for the identification of frailty in the absence of disability present major limitations. In particular, they have to be administered by a trained assessor, require special equipment, and/or do not discriminate between frail and disabled individuals. Aim of this study is to verify the agreement of a novel self-reported questionnaire (the “Frail Non-Disabled” [FiND] instrument) designed for detecting non-mobility disabled frail older persons with results from reference tools.Methodology/Principal FindingsData are from 45 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥60 years. Participants were asked to complete the FiND questionnaire separately exploring the frailty and disability domains. Then, a blinded assessor objectively measured the frailty status (using the phenotype proposed by Fried and colleagues) and mobility disability (using the 400-meter walk test). Cohen's kappa coefficients were calculated to determine the agreement between the FiND questionnaire with the reference instruments. Mean age of participants (women 62.2%) was 72.5 (standard deviation 8.2) years. Seven (15.6%) participants presented mobility disability as being unable to complete the 400-meter walk test. According to the frailty phenotype criteria, 25 (55.6%) participants were pre-frail or frail, and 13 (28.9%) were robust. Overall, a substantial agreement of the instrument with the reference tools (kappa = 0.748, quadratic weighted kappa = 0.836, both p values<0.001) was reported with only 7 (15.6%) participants incorrectly categorized. The agreement between results of the FiND disability domain and the 400-meter walk test was excellent (kappa = 0.920, p<0.001).Conclusions/SignificanceThe FiND questionnaire presents a very good capacity to correctly identify frail older persons without mobility disability living in the community. This screening tool may represent an opportunity for diffusing awareness about frailty and disability and supporting specific preventive campaigns.

SummaryThe current D-Dimer ELISA methods provide high sensitivity and negative predictive value for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis but these methods are not suitable for emergency or for individual determination. We have evaluated the performance of 3 newly available fast D-Dimer assays (Vidas D-Di, BioMerieux; Instant IA D-Di, Stago; Nycocard D-Dimer, Nycomed) in comparison with 3 classic ELISA methods (Stago, Organon, Behring) and a Latex agglutination technique (Stago). One-hundred-and-seventy-one patients suspected of presenting a first episode of deep vein thrombosis were investigated. A deep vein thrombosis was detected in 75 patients (43.8%) by ultrasonic duplex scanning of the lower limbs; in 11 of them the thrombi were distal and very limited in size (<2 cm). We compared the performance of the tests by calculating their sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for different cut-off levels and by calculating the area under ROC curves. The concordance of the different methods was evaluated by calculating the kappa coefficient. The performances of the 3 classic ELISA and of the Vidas D-Di were comparable and kappa coefficients indicated a good concordance between the results provided by these assays. Their sensitivity slightly declined for detection of the very small thrombi. Instant IA D-Di had a non-significantly lower sensitivity and negative predictive value than the 4 previous assays; however its performance was excellent for out-patients. As expected, the Latex assay had too low a sensitivity and negative predictive value to be recommended. In our hands, Nycocard D-Dimer also exhibited low sensitivity and negative predictive value, which were significantly improved when the plasma samples were tested by the manufacturer. Thus significant progress has been made, allowing clinical studies to be planned to compare the safety and cost-effectiveness of D-Dimer strategy to those of the conventional methods for the diagnosis of venous thrombosis.

In a previous study, the authors demonstrated that in 17 men with ischaemic atherosclerotic disease the bone mineral density (BMD) of the femoral neck was lower than in matched control subjects. The patients with arterial disease were thinner and were heavier smokers than the controls. Osteoporosis and arterial disease of the lower limbs were perhaps due to common risk factors: tobacco consumption and a low body build index. In order to demonstrate the direct effect of atherosclerosis on bone mineral content (BMC), the authors studied by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry the BMC of both legs in 18 men presenting symptomatic arterial disease of the lower limbs quantified by measurement of distal systolic indexes by doppler ultrasonography. The mean BMC of the leg more severely affected by arterial disease was significantly lower than the mean BMC of the leg less affected by arterial disease (512 +/- 76 g versus 495 +/- 80 g: p = 0.003). In 13 of the 18 patients, the BMC was lower in the leg more severely affected by arterial disease; in 4 of 18 the difference between the BMC of the left and right legs was less than 1%, and in a single patient the BMC was higher in the leg more affected by arterial disease. Arterial disease of the lower limbs could lead to bone mineral loss.

IL-6 levels are associated with subclinical atherosclerotic lesions independently of traditional risk factors; the influence of IL-6 on ICAM-1 secretion may play a role in this association. These results argue the interest of IL-6 in the stratification of cardiovascular risk.

This population-based study yields first evidence that sCD14 is associated with aortic stiffness independently of age, BP and atherosclerosis in humans.