Shift to Anti-Fibrinolysis on the Administration of L-Asparaginase (L-Asp) during Induction Therapy for Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Introduction: Thromboembolism is a serious complication associated with ALL. The use of central venous catheter and treatment protocols involving corticosteroids and L-Asp is assumed as important thrombogenic factors at the induction phase. In particular, L-Asp has profound effects on hepatic synthesis of pro-, anti-coagulant and fibrinolytic factors. In this study, we hypothesized that change of coagulation and fibrinolytic function contributes to hyper-coagulation condition during the induction phase with L-Asp. In order to clarify this, we evaluated the dynamic change in coagulation and fibrinolysis by simultaneous measurement of both thrombin and plasmin generation assay (T/P-GA). Patients: Twenty-seven pediatric patients with newly diagnosed ALL were enrolled from Aug. 2014 to Oct. 2015 at 3 hospitals in Japan. All cases had no thrombotic predisposition. Eighteen cases (66.7%) (BCP-ALL; n=17, T-ALL; n=1) received Berlin-Frankfürt-Münster (BFM)-95 oriented induction therapy included prednisolone (and dexamethasone for T-ALL), vincristine, daunorubicin, and E.coli L-Asp (a total of 8 doses of 5,000 U/m²). The others (BCP-ALL; n=8, T-ALL; n=1) received Japan Association of childhood Leukemia Study (JACLS) ALL02 oriented induction therapy included prednisolone, dexamethasone, vincristine, daunorubicin, cyclophosphamide and E.coli L-Asp (a total of 6 doses of 6,000 U/m²). Methods: The individual hemostatic parameters were monitored by fibrinogen (Fbg), FDP, AT, TAT and PIC. Additionally, the global functions of coagulation and fibrinolysis were evaluated using T/P-GA established by our group [Matsumoto et al. TH 2013]. This assay was initiated by the addition of a mixture of optimized concentrations of tissue factor and tissue-type plasminogen activator. Thrombin and plasmin generation were monitored simultaneously using individual fluorescent substrates in separate microtiter wells. Standard curves were set using purified alpha-thrombin and plasmin. Patients' plasmas were collected at the following points, T0; pre-phase of L-Asp, T1; intermittent phase of L-Asp, T2; post-phase of L-Asp, and T3; post-induction phase. Endogenous potentials of thrombin generation (T-EP) for coagulant activity and plasmin peak levels (P-Peak) of plasmin generation for fibrinolytic activity were selected as parameters for evaluation in this study. A ratio of T-EP and P-Peak of patients' plasmas to those of control normal plasma were calculated. Results: All cases obtained first remission, and none of them developed coagulopathy. Six cases received FFP transfusion for low Fbg level, whilst 21 cases received AT supplement for low AT level. Fbg showed a median of 170, 99.0, 99.0 and 328 mg/dl at T0, T1, T2 and T3, respectively, whilst the other individual parameters showed relatively unchanged. T-EP revealed a median of 1,126, 1,059, 1,175, 1,343 and 1,132 nM, whilst P-Peak showed a median of 6.67, 4.54, 4.12, 5.50 and 5.77 nM for T0, T1, T2, T3 and control plasma, respectively, indicating the elevated T-EP ratios and reduced P-Peak ratios (Fig. 1). The most significant difference in both ratios demonstrated a median of 1.5-fold (range, 1.0 to 2.6) at T2, consistent with the lowest Fbg levels. The FFP transfusion group showed significantly lower T-EP ratios than non-transfusion group at T1 (a median of 0.87 vs. 1.01, P=0.041) and T2 (a median of 0.96 vs. 1.07, P=0.009), whilst P-Peak ratios revealed no significant changes. The AT supplement group showed no significant changes of both ratios. Conclusion: The results from decreased Fbg and unchanged FDP might reveal the hepatic synthesis disorder of Fbg, whilst the results from T/P-GA showed that their hemostatic dynamics appear likely to be thrombotic tendency, since their coagulation state was hyper-coagulation and anti-fibrinolysis at post-phase of L-Asp. These results suggest that the impaired balance of coagulation and fibrinolysis due to L-Asp therapy might play an important role of a thrombotic complication at induction phase. On the other hand both conventional FFP transfusion and AT supplement therapy might not dramatically repair this unbalance state. A further research would be required to examine the role of coagulant and fibrinolytic function using T/P-GA in the pathogenesis of coagulopathy associated with L-Asp therapy in order to establish the optimal supportive therapy.

Figure 1

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The Changes of Both T-EP and P-Peak Ratios

Figure 1

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The Changes of Both T-EP and P-Peak Ratios

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