A pilot study on the applicability of thromboelastometry in detecting brain tumour-induced hypercoagulation

• Patients with intracranial tumours have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, particularly during the first month after neurosurgery. A proposed explanation for this increased risk, are procoagulant tumour-derived substances, such as tissue factor, usually measured in peripheral blood. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether a rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) can measure the procoagulative activity of tumour tissue. The study included 21 patients who were undergoing a craniotomy and complete tumour resection after written consent and ethical approval were obtained. Tumour tissue was biopsied during surgery and used for in vitro spiking of patients own citrated whole blood. Blood samples with or without spiking were analyzed with ROTEM using different activating reagents. ROTEM clotting time significantly decreased (p < .001), indicating a hypercoagulative response on clot initiation that was strongest for glioma tumours. However, ROTEM clot formation time was significantly prolonged (p < .001), which was an opposite response that indicated poor initial clot propagation. ROTEM maximum lysis was increased in the tumour tissue-spiked samples (p < .001), indicating a strong fibrinolytic activity in brain tumour tissue. Tissue extracts from intracranial tumours have both procoagulant and fibrinolytic effects that are detectable with ROTEM. Glioma tumours had the strongest hypercoagulative response in our in vitro model. Larger studies are necessary to test the clinical relevance and accuracy of tumour extract spiked viscoelastic tests to predict the individual patient risk for developing a thrombotic complication.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kirurgi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Surgery (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Glioma

neurosurgery

point-of-care testing

proteins and enzymes

surgery

thrombelastography

tumor markers

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)