Work

The associations between plasma levels of von Willebrand factor and fibrinogen with Raynaud’s phenomenon in men and women

Year: 2000

Type: article

Abstract: Recent studies ( 1 Fraenkel L Zhang Y.Q Chaisson C.E et al. Different factors influence the expression of Raynaud’s phenomenon in men and women. Arthritis Rheum. 1999; 42: 306-310 Crossref PubMed Scopus (43) Google Scholar , 2 Valter I Maricq H.R Prevalence of Raynaud’s phenomenon in 2 ethnic groups in the general population of Estonia. J Rheumatol. 1998; 25: 697-702 PubMed Google Scholar ) have found that the risk factors for Raynaud’s phenomenon differ between men and women, raising questions about the causes of the phenomenon. In particular, we found that certain vascular risk factors, such as age and smoking, were more important in men ( 1 Fraenkel L Zhang Y.Q Chaisson C.E et al. Different factors influence the expression of Raynaud’s phenomenon in men and women. Arthritis Rheum. 1999; 42: 306-310 Crossref PubMed Scopus (43) Google Scholar ). Several studies have examined the association between hemostatic factors and Raynaud’s phenomenon, with conflicting results ( 3 Pringle R Walder D.N Weaver J.P.A Blood viscosity and Raynaud’s disease. Lancet. 1965; 1: 1086-1089 Abstract PubMed Scopus (56) Google Scholar , 4 Ayres M.L Jarrett P.E Browse N.L Blood viscosity, Raynaud’s phenomenon and the effect of fibrinolytic enhancement. Br J Surg. 1981; 68: 51-54 Crossref PubMed Scopus (25) Google Scholar , 5 Belch J.J Drury J McLaughlin K et al. Abnormal biochemical and cellular parameters in the blood of patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon. Scot Med J. 1987; 32: 12-14 PubMed Google Scholar , 6 Blann A.D Illingworth K Jayson M.I Mechanisms of endothelial cell damage in systemic sclerosis and Raynaud’s phenomenon. J Rheumatol. 1993; 20: 1325-1330 PubMed Google Scholar , 7 Herrick A.L Illingworth K Blann A et al. Von Willebrand factor, thrombomodulin, thromboxane, beta-thromboglobulin and markers of fibrinolysis in primary Raynaud’s phenomenon and systemic sclerosis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1996; 55: 122-127 Crossref PubMed Scopus (113) Google Scholar , 8 James J.P Stevens T.R Hall N.D et al. Factor VIII related antigen in connective tissue disease patients, and relatives. Br J Rheumatol. 1990; 29: 6-9 Crossref PubMed Scopus (23) Google Scholar , 9 Kahaleh M.B Osborn I LeRoy E.C Increased factor VIII/von Willebrand factor antigen and von Willebrand factor activity in scleroderma and in Raynaud’s phenomenon. Ann Int Med. 1981; 94: 482-484 Crossref PubMed Scopus (181) Google Scholar , 10 Lau C.S McLaren M Belch J.J Factor VIII von Willebrand factor antigen levels correlate with symptom severity in patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon. Br J Rheumatol. 1991; 30: 433-436 Crossref PubMed Scopus (19) Google Scholar , 11 Marasini B Cugno M Bassani C et al. Tissue-type plasminogen activator and von Willebrand factor plasma levels as markers of endothelial involvement in patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon. Int J Microcirc Clin Exp. 1992; 11: 375-382 PubMed Google Scholar , 12 Kallenberg C.G.M Vellenga E Wouda A.A et al. Platelet activation, fibrinolytic activity and circulating immune complexes in Raynaud’s phenomenon. J Rheumatol. 1982; 9: 878-884 PubMed Google Scholar ), but most were based on small numbers of subjects ( 3 Pringle R Walder D.N Weaver J.P.A Blood viscosity and Raynaud’s disease. Lancet. 1965; 1: 1086-1089 Abstract PubMed Scopus (56) Google Scholar , 4 Ayres M.L Jarrett P.E Browse N.L Blood viscosity, Raynaud’s phenomenon and the effect of fibrinolytic enhancement. Br J Surg. 1981; 68: 51-54 Crossref PubMed Scopus (25) Google Scholar , 6 Blann A.D Illingworth K Jayson M.I Mechanisms of endothelial cell damage in systemic sclerosis and Raynaud’s phenomenon. J Rheumatol. 1993; 20: 1325-1330 PubMed Google Scholar , 7 Herrick A.L Illingworth K Blann A et al. Von Willebrand factor, thrombomodulin, thromboxane, beta-thromboglobulin and markers of fibrinolysis in primary Raynaud’s phenomenon and systemic sclerosis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1996; 55: 122-127 Crossref PubMed Scopus (113) Google Scholar , 9 Kahaleh M.B Osborn I LeRoy E.C Increased factor VIII/von Willebrand factor antigen and von Willebrand factor activity in scleroderma and in Raynaud’s phenomenon. Ann Int Med. 1981; 94: 482-484 Crossref PubMed Scopus (181) Google Scholar , 11 Marasini B Cugno M Bassani C et al. Tissue-type plasminogen activator and von Willebrand factor plasma levels as markers of endothelial involvement in patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon. Int J Microcirc Clin Exp. 1992; 11: 375-382 PubMed Google Scholar ) and did not adjust adequately for potential confounders ( 3 Pringle R Walder D.N Weaver J.P.A Blood viscosity and Raynaud’s disease. Lancet. 1965; 1: 1086-1089 Abstract PubMed Scopus (56) Google Scholar , 4 Ayres M.L Jarrett P.E Browse N.L Blood viscosity, Raynaud’s phenomenon and the effect of fibrinolytic enhancement. Br J Surg. 1981; 68: 51-54 Crossref PubMed Scopus (25) Google Scholar , 8 James J.P Stevens T.R Hall N.D et al. Factor VIII related antigen in connective tissue disease patients, and relatives. Br J Rheumatol. 1990; 29: 6-9 Crossref PubMed Scopus (23) Google Scholar , 12 Kallenberg C.G.M Vellenga E Wouda A.A et al. Platelet activation, fibrinolytic activity and circulating immune complexes in Raynaud’s phenomenon. J Rheumatol. 1982; 9: 878-884 PubMed Google Scholar ). Therefore, in a large community-based sample, we tested the hypothesis that two hemostatic factors—plasma levels of fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor—would be associated with Raynaud’s phenomenon in men only.

Source: The American Journal of Medicine

DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9343(00)00350-8