The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are any differences in the levels of inflammatory, thrombotic, and collagen turnover biomarkers between individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF) and healthy volunteers. Circulating plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), CD40-ligand (CD40-L), nucleosomes (which are indicators of cell death), C-reactive protein (CRP), procollagen III N-terminal propeptide (PIIINP), procollagen III C-terminal propeptide (PIIICP), procollagen I N-terminal propeptide, tissue plasminogen activator, and von Willebrand factor were analyzed as potential biomarkers of AF. Baseline plasma was collected from patients with AF prior to ablation surgery at Loyola University Medical Center. Individuals with AF had statistically significantly increased levels of PAI-1, CD40-L, and nucleosomes, when compared to the normal population ( P < .0001). Additionally, there was a statistically significant increase in the CRP ( P = .01), PIIINP ( P = .04), and PIIICP ( P = .0008) when compared to normal individuals. From this study, it is concluded that the prothrombotic, inflammatory, and collagen turnover biomarkers PAI-1, CD40-L, nucleosomes, CRP, PIIICP, and PIIINP are elevated in AF.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is prevalent in nearly 27% of patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis (CKD5-HD), suggesting a strong association between these 2 pathologies. It is hypothesized that the relationship between these 2 diseases may be mediated by inflammation. Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), a pro-inflammatory biomarker of endothelial instability, inflammation, and vascular remodeling, is elevated in CKD5-HD and AF, yet has not been evaluated in patients with concomitant AF and CKD5-HD. The aim of this study is to analyze circulating levels of inflammatory and thrombotic biomarkers in patients with concomitant AF and CKD5-HD. Plasma levels of Ang-2 were measured via sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method in CKD5-HD patients (n = 96), patients with AF (n = 38), and controls (n = 50). Angiopoietin-2 was markedly elevated in CKD5-HD with comorbid AF as compared to CKD5-HD alone, and AF alone, respectively (13.05 ± 1.56 vs 9.57 ± 0.71 ng/mL; P = .00169; vs 2.48 ± 0.57 ng/mL; P < .0001). The results of this study suggest an additive effect of Ang-2 with coexistence of AF and CKD5-HD, which may be useful in the detection of AF within this patient population.

Introduction: There are four oral anti-Xa drugs currently available for clinical use in various indications. These drugs are claimed to mediate their therapeutic effects by solely targeting factor Xa. While these agents are structurally similar, their biochemical properties and their effects on blood coagulation differ. Such differences may impact their safety and efficacy profile. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the differences among factor Xa inhibitors in terms of their in vitro anticoagulant activity and other biochemical effects. Materials and Methods: Commercially obtained powdered forms of Apixaban, Betrixaban, Edoxaban and Rivaroxaban were profiled in this study. Stock solutions of each drug were prepared at 1mg/ml. To investigate the effect on the whole blood clotting profile, thromboelastographic studies were carried out over a concentration range of 0.5 - 2.5 ug/ml and whole blood activated clotting time (ACT) was measured at 1.0 and 2.5 ug/ml. The anticoagulant profile in citrated human pool plasma was measured at concentrations of 0.062-1.0 ug/ml using such tests as prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). The anti-Xa effects of each agent were measured using a kinetic amydolytic method. The inhibitory potency was calculated in terms of IC-50. Thrombin generation inhibition studies on each drug were carried out in human pool plasma in a concentration range of 0.0-1.0 ug/ml using calibrated aotomated thrombogram (CAT) assay (Diagnostica Stago, Paris, France). Fibrinokinetics studies were carried out using an optical kinetic method, where thrombin was used to trigger clot formation. All results were compiled in terms of mean + 1 SD of 3-5 replicates. Results: All of the anti-Xa agents produced concentration and assay-dependent effects in these studies. The summary of each agent's effects at selected fixed concentrations and the IC-50 of the anti-Xa activity is given in the Table. In the whole blood ACT at 2.5ug/ml, Edoxaban showed the strongest anti-coagulant effects followed by Rivaroxaban > Betrixaban, whereas Apixaban showed minimal effects. In the TEG analysis at 1ug/ml, Edoxaban exhibited stronger anti-coagulant effects as measured by various TEG parameters, including R-time, K-time, alpha, and MA. Edoxaban and Rivaroxaban showed comparable effects followed by Betrixaban, whereas Apixaban exhibited weaker effects. In the PT assay at 1ug/ml, Edoxaban showed stronger effects, whereas Apixaban, Betrixaban and Rivaroxaban were comparable. aPTT at 1ug/ml revealed that Edoxaban was the strongest anti-Xa inhibitor followed by Betrixaban, whereas Apixaban and Rivaroxaban were comparable. In the anti-Xa assay Edoxaban was stronger (IC-50 = 340ng/ml, 0.62uM) than Apixaban (IC-50 =400ng, 0.87uM), Rivaroxaban (IC-50 = 840ng, 1.9uM) and Betrixaban (IC = >1000ng, >2.22 uM). In the thrombin generation assays at 1ug/ml, Apixaban showed the strongest inhibitory activity (IC-50 = 50ng/ml, 108nm) followed by Edoxaban (IC-50 = 58ng/ml, 108nm), Betrixaban (IC-50 = 60ngml, 133nm) while Rivaroxaban showed relatively weaker activity (IC-50 = 100ng/ml, 299nm). In the fibrinokinetics study at 1ug/ml, the anti-Xa agents produced varying degrees of inhibition with Rivaroxaban (67%), Edoxaban (42%), Apixaban (32%) and Betrixaban (12%). Summary and Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the measured anti-Xa activity alone does not fully reflect the overall biologic spectrum of these agents. Assay dependent variations are exhibited by each of these drugs, revealing distinct individual profiles. Edoxaban was the only anti-Xa agent which consistently exhibited relatively stronger inhibitory profile which was proportional to its anti-Xa activity. These studies indicate that the oral anti-Xa drugs may modulate the hemostatic system through additional mechanisms independent of the inhibition of factor Xa. Table. Table. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The complex pathophysiology of pulmonary embolism (PE) involves hemostatic activation, inflammatory processes, cellular dysfunction, and hemodynamic derangements. Due to the heterogeneity of this disease, risk stratification and diagnosis remains challenging. Biochip-array technology provides an integrated high throughput method for analyzing blood plasma samples for the simultaneous measurement of multiple biomarkers for potential risk stratification. Using biochip-array method, this study aimed to quantify the inflammatory biomarkers such as interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in 109 clinically confirmed PE patients in comparison to the control group comprised of plasma samples collected from 48 healthy subjects. Cytokines IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1β, and MCP-1 demonstrated varying level of significant increase ( P < 0.05) in massive-risk PE patients compared to submassive- and low-risk PE patients. The upregulation of inflammatory cytokines in PE patients observed in this study suggest that inflammation plays an important role in the overall pathophysiology of this disease. The application of biochip-array technology may provide a useful approach to evaluate these biomarkers to understand the pathogenesis and risk stratification of PE patients.

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