The procoagulant activity of red blood cells from patients with severe preeclampsia

D. Grisaru, E. Zwang, M. R. Peyser, J. B. Lessing, A. Eldor*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether red blood cells from patients with severe preeclampsia may exhibit increased membrane exposure of procoagulant phospholipids (i.e., phosphatidylserine), which may initiate intravascular clotting and platelet activation. STUDY DESIGN: The study group comprised 28 women: 9 with severe preeclampsia in the third trimester of pregnancy, 10 normotensive with uncomplicated pregnancies, and 9 age-matched, nonpregnant, healthy women. The exposure of phosphatidylserine on the outer membrane phospholipid layer was analyzed with use of isolated, washed red blood cells that were added as a source of phospholipids to a 'prothrombinase' coagulation complex. RESULTS: The resultant thrombin formed was measured by an amidolytic assay. Thrombin generation significantly increased on the addition of red blood cells from women with preeclampsia (741 ± 132 mU/ml/min) compared with red blood cells from normotensive pregnant (422 ± 228 mU/ml/min) and nonpregnant women (316 ± 268 mU/ml/min, p = 0.0008). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that in patients with preeclampsia the red blood cells exhibit a significant procoagulant surface that may trigger thrombin format on, thereby playing a role in the hypercoagulable state.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1513-1516
Number of pages4
JournalAmerican Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume177
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Coagulation
  • Preeclampsia
  • Red blood cells

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