Critical Role of Factors II and X During Coumarin Anticoagulation and Their Combined Measurement with a New Prothrombin Time Variant (Fiix-PT),

Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) are monitored with prothrombin time (PT) based assays that are equally sensitive to reductions in factors II, VII or X. However, previous studies suggest that the anticoagulant effect of VKA depends primarily on reductions in factors II and X and not VII.

We compared the effect of vitamin K dependent (VKD) coagulation factors on PT (Quick and Owren methods) and also on rotational thromboelastometric (ROTEM) parameters. The experiments used normal platelet poor plasma (PPP) and PPP selectively immunodepleted of individual VKD factors, with and without added platelet phospholipid or washed platelets.

The PT was equally sensitive to reductions in factors II, VII or X. However, ROTEM parameters correlated poorly with the PT in anticoagulated patients` plasmas. ROTEM experiments showed that the clotting time, maximum velocity of clot formation and the maximum clot firmness were more affected by reductions in FII or FX than by FVII or FIX concentrations which had little influence except at very low concentrations. We developed a modified PT that was sensitive only to reductions in factors II and X by using factor II and X (Fiix) depleted plasma in the PT system. The Fiix-PT (Fiix-INR) correlated well with PT (INR) but the Fiix-INR fluctuated less than the INR in anticoagulated patients reflecting its insensitivity to FVII.

The ROTEM results suggest that mild to moderate reductions in factors II or X are more important in clot formation than factors VII or IX at therapeutically relevant factor concentrations. Reductions in FII and X may therefore better reflect anticoagulation with VKA than FVII or IX. FVII may be a confounding source of unwanted variation in PT-INR. The new Fiix-PT that is sensitive only to FII and FX may more accurately reflect the degree of therapeutic anticoagulation in patients treated with VKA than do the current PT assays which may overestimate the fluctuation in anticoagulation.

Onundarson:See i. other: Patent application for Fiix method in process. Gudmundsdottir:Other, see i: patent applicaiton filed for Fiix method.