Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is associated with a high venous and arterial thrombosis risk. Local hemostasis assessment tests are not informative enough in detecting hypercoagulation states. Global tests to assess blood clotting may be an alternative in patients with NS.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize hemostasis system disorders in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis and NS using global tests — thrombodynamics and thromboelastography (TEG).
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study included 54 patients (25 [46.3%] females and 29 [53.7%] males) with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) before the anticoagulant therapy: 44.4% of patients with NS and 55.6% without NS. The average age of the patients was 41 years. Parameters of hemostasis tests were compared with laboratory indicators of NS and renal dysfunction severity.
RESULTS
According to the thrombodynamics test, abnormal indices indicating hypercoagulation were noted in 31.3% of patients with NS and in 18.2% of patients without NS; according to TEG, hypercoagulation was observed in 50% of patients with NS and 27.3% of those without NS. Patients with NS showed an increase in V (clot growth rate), D (clot density), and CS (clot size) after 30 min. According to TEG results, K (the time (min) between the amplitudes of 2 mm and 20 mm, depends on the level of fibrinogen), MA (reflecting fibrin-platelet interaction), and R parameters (coagulation initiation time) were abnormal in patients with NS, especially in the group with membranous nephropathy. Statistically significant correlations of these parameters with the serum albumin, cholesterol, creatinine level, and estimated glomerular filtration rate were revealed.
CONCLUSION
According to global hemostasis assessment tests, approximately half of patients with chronic glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome have increased plasma readiness for thrombosis. Indices of blood coagulation activation correlate with the severity of hypoalbuminemia, hypercholesterolemia, and renal dysfunction.