| Research background: Acquired coagulation factorâ…©â…¢(Fâ…©â…¢)deficiency due to an inhibitor is an extremely rare blood disorder. Only34 patients with acquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors have been reported by far.None has yet been reported in China. Acquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor is morefrequent in the elderly and affects both sexes equally. Fâ…©â…¢inhibitorsneutralize activities of Fâ…©â…¢and block the cross-linking of fibrin, whichresults in instability of the patients' fibrin clot, and severe spontaneousrecurrent bleeding. The bleeding happens in various sites, including skin,subcutaneous tissue, muscles, visceral bleeding, prolonged bleeding aftersurgery, or even intracranial hemorrhage. The hemorrhage caused byacquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor may be severe and difficult to treat. Themortality rate is as high as 50%. The cause of emergence of the inhibitorsis not dear. The studies suggest that development of Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors maybe has some relationship with disorders in immune tolerance mechanism.Most cases of Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors have been associated with someautoimmune diseases, especially with systemic lupus erythematosus, orprolonged drug ingestions including isoniazid, penicillin, phenytoin, andpractolol. Incidence of inhibitors in patients with inherited Fâ…©â…¢deficiency accepted replacement therapy with Fâ…©â…¢concentrate appearsto approximately 1%. Few Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors develop in persons in good health. In most cases reported, the Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors have been shown to bepolyclonal or monoclonal IgG, with a prevalence of the IgG1 subclass.Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors interfere with one or more of the biochemical reactionsinvolved in the physiological pathway pertaining to fibrin stabilization.According to their modes of action, three major types can bedistinguished: the typeâ… inhibitor prevents activation of Fâ…©â…¢; the typeâ…¡inhibitor interferes with the transamidating function of Fâ…©â…¢; the typeâ…¢inhibitor is directed against the fibrin subunit itself, blocking thereactivity of the cross-linking site for access to Fâ…©â…¢. The A subunit ofFâ…©â…¢is functional subunit, and folds into five domains which areactivation peptide (including thrombin binding site), beta sandwich, thecatalytic core region (including Ca2+ binding site, active site), barrel 1 andbarrel 2. There is no data about Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor epitopes located in thefunctional domains of Fâ…©â…¢A subunit. We diagnosed the first case ofFâ…©â…¢inhibitor in monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance andthe third Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor in systemic lupus erythematosus, and studied theclinical features, the immune characteristics, and molecular mechanismfor Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor pathogeny of the both. Partâ… Clinical features, diagnosis and treatment ofacquired coagulation factorâ…©â…¢deficiency arising fromFâ…©â…¢inhibitorObjective: To analyze the clinical and laboratory features ofacquired Fâ…©â…¢deficiency due to Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor, determine the diagnosisof acquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor, to enhance the understanding of the clinicaland laboratory features of the bleeding caused by acquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor,and to improve the diagnosis and remission rate of the disease. Methods:â‘ Collected and analyzed the patient's case history in details;â‘¡Laboratory tests about hemorrhagic disorder such as activated partialthromboplastin time(APTT), prothrombin time(PT), thrombin time(TT),fibrinogen(FIB), D-dimer(D-D), platelet count and function wereperformed; Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor was established by clot solubility assay andclot solubility assay mixing studies; The plasma Fâ…©â…¢titer wasdetermined based on western blot combined with optical density(OD)scanning for protein band;â‘¢The therapeutic efficacy ofimmunosuppressant combined with fresh frozen plasma was estimated byobserve the change of clinical phenotype. Results:â‘ The clinicalmanifestation of the two patients were consistent with the phenotype ofFâ…©â…¢deficiency. Before presenting with multiple episodes of bleeding,the patient of the first case was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance while the patient of the second case wasdiagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. There was no family orprior bleeding history, so we concluded that the bleeding was acquired;â‘¡APTT, PT, fibrinogen, platelet count and function were within normallimit. Clots from both of the patients' plasma dissolved in 5M urea by 24hours. Clots prepared from normal plasma were stable for 48 hours. Theabnormal solubility of patients' plasma clot could not be corrected bynormal plasma, which established the presence of Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor. TheFâ…©â…¢titer in the patient of the first case was 2.9mg/L(normal: 31mg/L),while the Fâ…©â…¢in the patient of the second case was too few to bedetermined;â‘¢The bleeding of the two patients was remarkablyresolved. Keeping receiving prednisone and cyclophosphamide, thepatient of the second case didn't experience episodes of bleeding anymore. Conclusion: We determined the diagnosis of acquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors in the two patients suffered from monoclonal gammopathy ofunknown significance and systemic lupus erythematosus, respectively.Clot solubility assay is the preliminary screening test of such hemorrhagicdisease. Further clot solubility assay mixing studies and the detection ofFâ…©â…¢titer can determine the diagnosis; Immunosuppressant and freshfrozen plasma are effective in treating acquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor. Partâ…¡Inhibitory effect of Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor on Fâ…©â…¢in normalpooled plasma and on fibrin cross-linksObjective: To purify the IgG from patient plasma or normalpooled plasma; to certify the effects of Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor on Fâ…©â…¢activityand on fibrin cross-linking of clots from normal pooled plasma; todisscuss effects of Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors on the rigidity of fibrin clot from amicroscopic angle. Methods:â‘ IgG and light chain purification werefinished by protein A-agrose column chromatograph and identified bySDS-polyacrylamide gel ectrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) andnative-polyacrylamide gel ectrophoresis (native-PAGE);â‘¡Purifiedpatient IgG or light chain or normal IgG was added into normal pooledplasma with different dose (0 mg/ml,1.38 mg/ml,2.76mg/ml), thenclot solubility assay was performed to discover Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor effect onFâ…©â…¢in vitro;â‘¢Fibrin cross-links of clots from two patients' plasmaand normal plasma were identified by SDS-PAGE; Purified patient IgGor normal IgG was added into normal pooled plasma with a final titer of2.76mg/ml, then fibrin clot was obtained and analyzed by SDS-PAGE,too;â‘£Ultrastructure of fibrin clots from the two patients' plasma ornormal plasma was discovered using scanning electron. Results:â‘ wegot the purified IgG of two patients and the light chain of the patient of thefirst case;â‘¡IgG of the two patients were able to increasing the solubility of normal plasma clots in 5M urea significantly with a dose-dependentmanner, while normal IgG and the light chain of the patient of the first casehad no effect on normal human plasma clots;â‘¢Both an polymers andγ-γdimers of the fibrin clot of the first case were modest, and there wereγmonomers, too. The fibrin clot of the second case had neither a chain norγchain cross-linking. The IgG of the patient of the first case inhibited thea chain andγchain cross-linking of normal clots partially, while the IgGof the patient of the second case completely inhibited both a chain andγchain cross-linking;â‘£Analyzed by scanning electron, Fibrincross-linked from normal plasma consisted of tight and thick fibers, withalmost no fibrin "mesh"; whereas Fibrin cross-linked from the patient'splasma of the second case consisted of looser and thinner fibers, whichformed a larger "mesh". The structure of the patient's clot of the first casewas between normal and the patient of the second case. Conclusion: TheIgG in the two patients have significant inhibitory effect on Fâ…©â…¢in vitroand result in that the ultrastructure of the two patients' clots showedmesh-like appearance different in size with thin and loose fibers, whichindicates the deficiency of Fâ…©â…¢or the loss of Fâ…©â…¢activity. Stabilizingeffect of Fâ…©â…¢on fibrin clot is weakened, which leads to the hemorrhagicsymptoms clinically. Partâ…¢IgG subclass and Fâ…©â…¢binding epitope identification foracquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitorObjective: To identify Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor IgG subclass and Fâ…©â…¢binding epitope, and to elucidate the molecular mechanism for Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor pathogeny. Methods:â‘ The IgG subclass of the two Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors were identified by solid-phase binding method followed byWestern blot;â‘¡Inhibitory effect of the two patients' IgG on activation ofFâ…©â…¢by thrombin was certified by SDS-PAGE;â‘¢The peptides of thefunctional domains of Fâ…©â…¢A subunit were synthesized. Binding of thetwo acquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors to the functional domains of Fâ…©â…¢wasidentified using dot blot. Results:â‘ Solid-phase binding methodfollowed by Western blot showed, when PVDF membrane incubated withthe patient's plasma of the second case, there was reactivity of the Asubunit of Fâ…©â…¢with monoclonal anti-IgG1 and IgG4, but lacked thereactivity with monoclonal anti-IgG2 or IgG3; when PVDF membraneincubated with patient's plasma of the first case, there was reactivity ofthe A subunit of Fâ…©â…¢with monoclonal anti-IgG1, but lacked thereactivity with monoclonal anti-IgG2, IgG3 or IgG4;â‘¡SDS-PAGEanalysis displayed electrophoresis of Fâ…©â…¢with thrombin showed oneband for the A' and B subunit different with two bands for the A and Bsubunit of purified Fâ…©â…¢; Incubated with the patient's IgG of the second case and thrombin, Fâ…©â…¢had one band for the A' and B subunit, whileincubated with the patient's IgG of the first case and thrombin, Fâ…©â…¢hadtwo bands for the A and B subunit;â‘¢PeptideCa2+ containing Ca2+ bindingsite (NH2-YKFQEGQEEE-CONH2) and peptideactive containing activesite (NH2-GWQAVDSTPO-CONH2) from Fâ…©â…¢A subunit weresynthesized; Dot blot analysis with HRP-rabbit anti-human IgG showedthat when PVDF membrane incubated with the patient's plasma of thesecond case, there was reactivity of Fâ…©â…¢, PeptideCa2+ and peptideactive;when PVDF membrane incubated with patient's plasma of the first case,there was reactivity of Fâ…©â…¢, and no activity of peptideCa2+ or peptideactive;However, there is no evidence for the binding when incubated PVDFmembrane with normal plasma. Conclusion:â‘ We defined the IgGsubclass of Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor in the patient of the first case with monoclonalgammopathy of unknown significance, which was IgG1, and the IgGsubclass of Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor in the patient of the second case with systemiclupus erythematosus, which was IgG1 and IgG4;â‘¡The binding epitopefor Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor in the patient of the first case was identified as Fâ…©â…¢thrombin binding site and activation of Fâ…©â…¢by thrombin was inhibited,which results in that stabilizing effect of Fâ…©â…¢on fibrin clot is weakened;While the binding epitope for Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor in the patient of the secondcase was identified as Fâ…©â…¢Ca2+ binding site and active site, andactivity of Fâ…©â…¢and fibrin cross-links reaction activated by Ca2+ were inhibited. The exact binding epitopes of Fâ…©â…¢inhibitors on functionaldomains of Fâ…©â…¢were determined. The molecular mechanism foracquired Fâ…©â…¢inhibitor pathogeny was elucidated in our cases. |