Severe pregnancy complications are associated with elevated factor VIII plasma activity

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence of elevated factor VIII activity among women with severe complications of pregnancy. The study group included 49 patients with a previous history of pregnancy complications: severe preeclampsia (n = 9); intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) (n = 9); severe intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR) (n = 12); IUGR and preeclampsia (n = 7); preeclampsia and placental abruption (n = 2); IUFD and IUGR (n = 5); and abruptio placenta (n = 5). The control group included 49 healthy women who had had at least one normal pregnancy. Seventeen women of the study group (34.6%) had elevated factor VIII activity compared to one woman (2.1%) in the control group (P < 0.05). The mean level of factor VIII was 159 ± 52% and 88 ± 17.4% of normal activity (mean ± SD, t-test, P < 0.05). Importantly, 10 women of the study group (20.4%) had only elevated factor VIII activity with no other known thrombophilia compared to one woman (2.1%) in the control group (P < 0.05). Elevated plasma activity of factor VIII might be a risk factor for severe pregnancy complications.

Evaluation of global haemostatic assays and fibrin structure in patients with pre‐eclampsia

“…Consistent with previous reports, the present study showed elevated FVIII in P‐EC with significantly higher FVIII levels after delivery . However, higher FVIII activity has been also linked to the inflammatory process present in P‐EC because FVIII is also an acute‐phase protein .…”

“…In this study, we characterised the fibrin clots from patients Consistent with previous reports, the present study showed elevated FVIII in P-EC with significantly higher FVIII levels after delivery. 33 However, higher FVIII activity has been also linked to the inflammatory process present in P-EC because FVIII is also an acute-phase protein. 34 Indeed, we observed a significant correlation between high FVIII activity and elevated CRP levels in both groups.…”

Factors contributing to APC-resistance in women with recurrent spontaneous miscarriages: Indian perspective

“…It could be due to the younger age group and absence of any concomitant infections in these patients as FVIII levels increase with age and acute inflammation. Also, these patients had no other thrombophilic risk factor associated with them that otherwise could be accounted for APCR positivity, similar to the findings of few other studies [12,13].…”

“…Balbas et al found a strong positive correlation of elevated FV and FVIII levels with an acquired APCR phenotype [6]. But we could demonstrate a statistically significant correlation of adverse pregnancy outcomes only with respect to FVIII levels in comparison to normal controls [6,12,13]. We also chose the 95th percentile of control population distribution as cut-off value for FV and FVIII levels, which corresponded to an absolute value of 145 IU/dL and 120 IU/dL respectively, which is still lower than the reference value of 150 IU/dL, previously reported as a thrombophilic risk factor.…”

Circulating pro- and anticoagulant levels in normal and complicated primigravid pregnancies and their relationship to placental pathology

“…Recent work describing the relationship between antithrombin levels and pregnancy outcome has been confl icting, but suggests that higher FVIII:C levels may be present in IUGR and pre-eclampsia (Rimon et al 2012;Haumonte et al 2012). Th e design of our study could not determine the origin of the increase in FCVIII:C.…”