Recurrent pulmonary embolism in a 13-year-old male homozygous for the prothrombin G20210A mutation combined with protein S deficiency and increased lipoprotein (a)

Prothrombin G20210A Gene Mutation-Induced Recurrent Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism: Case Report and Literature Review

Inherited thrombophilia is an important cause of venous thrombosis. The Factor V Leiden (FVL) is the most commonly encountered mutation, followed by the prothrombin G20210A gene mutation (PTM). The typical venous thrombotic events (VTEs) associated with PTM mutations are deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE). The PTM is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern with variable penetrance. While heterozygous PTM mutations are more frequent and well documented in the literature, rare cases of homozygous PTM mutations are also reported. In this report, we discuss a 56-year-old male with a past medical history of homozygous prothrombin gene mutation (G20210A) who presented with an unprovoked DVT of the right lower extremity involving both the proximal and distal veins associated with multiple bilateral PEs. This case is unique in terms of the homozygous PTM inheritance, the age at which the patient presented (usually presentation is earlier in life), and the fact that he had a recurrence of both DVT and PE simultaneously.

Role of protein S deficiency in children with venous thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism [TE] is a multifactorial disease, and protein S deficiency [PSD] constitutes a major risk factor. In the present study the prevalence of PSD and the clinical presentation at TE onset in a cohort of children is reported. In 367 unselected paediatric patients with TE (age 0.1–18 years) recruited between July 1996 and December 2013, a comprehensive thrombophilia screening was performed along with recording of anamnestic data. Thirty of 367 paediatric patients (8.2 %) derived from 27 families had PSD. Mean age at first TE onset was 14.5 years (range 0.1 to 18). Thrombotic locations were cerebral veins (n=8), calf vein TE (n=3) deep veins (DVT) of the leg (n=12), DVT & pulmonary embolism (n=5) and intra-cardiac veins (n=1) or purpura fulminans (n=1). PSD co-occurred with the factor 5 mutation at rs6025 or the homozygous factor 2 susceptibility variant at rs1799963 in one case each. The Heerlen polymorphism detected in five children presented with milder PSD. In 18 patients (60 %) a concomitant risk factor for TE was identified. A second TE event within primarily healthy siblings occurred in three of 27 PSD families (11.0 %). In this cohort of children with symptomatic TE, the prevalence of PSD adjusted for family status was 7.4 %. Given its clinical implication for patients and family members, thrombophilia testing should be performed and the benefit of medical or educational interventions should be evaluated in this high-risk population.

Impact of high-risk thrombophilia status on recurrence among children with a first non-central-venous-catheter-associated VTE: an observational multicentre cohort study

Deficiency of antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC) or protein S (PS) constitutes a major risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Individuals at high risk for recurrence who benefit from screening need to be identified. The primary study objective was to determine the individual recurrence risk among children with a first non-central-venous-catheter-associated VTE with respect to their thrombophilia status and to evaluate if the clinical presentation at first VTE onset differs between children with AT, PC or PS deficiency versus no thrombophilia. We calculated the absolute risk of VTE recurrence and event-free-survival adjusted for thrombophilia, age, sex and positive family VTE history in 161 consecutively enrolled paediatric VTE patients. The presence of a deficiency relative to no thrombophilia was evaluated as a potential predictor of recurrence. Predictors for recurrence were AT deficiency (hazard ratio/95% CI: 6·5/2·46-17·2) and female gender (2·6/1·1-6·35). The annual recurrence rates (95% CIs) were 5·4% (2·6-10) in AT-deficient children, 1·3% (0·3-3·8) in patients with PC deficiency, 0·7% (0·08-2·4) in the PS-deficient cohort and 0·9% (0·4-1·8) in patients with no thrombophilia. Positive family VTE history or combined thrombophilias did not predict recurrence. Given the overall annual incidence rate of recurrence of 1·5% we suggest screening for AT deficiency in children with VTE.

Bilateral Superficial Femoral Artery Thrombosis in a 15-Year-Old Caucasian Male with Homozygous Prothrombin G20210A Genotype and Associated Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Prothrombin mutation was usually associated with other well-established predisposing factors for venous thrombosis such as antiphospholipid antibodies. Recently, even isolated prothrombin gene mutation G20210A has been reported to present severe or unusual vein thrombosis. Less clear is the role of prothrombin mutation in the formation of arterial thrombosis. We present a case of a 15-year-old healthy White male with acute bilateral femoral artery thrombosis. The patient presented with increasing left leg pain for about 1 week. He was a physically very active teenager with a new onset of leg pain aggravated by exercise. Physical examination revealed a pale and cold left foot with dorsal foot necrosis (2 × 2 cm) that started 2 days ago. In addition, he complained of moderate rest pain. No symptoms were noticed on the right lower extremity. The ankle brachial index was 0.3 on the left and 0.6 on the right. Duplex sonography showed bilateral superficial femoral artery thrombosis, which was confirmed by angiography. Subsequently, he undergoes left superficial femoral and popliteal artery lysis with rt-PA (Actilyse boehringer ingelheim, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany) and full heparinization. Treatment was discontinued after 24 hours with no significant improvement of symptoms. Full anticoagulation with Coumadin (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, New York, NY) and alprostadil (Prostavasin UCB, Brussels, Belgium) infusion for 2 weeks was initiated and eventually patient's symptoms improved. Laboratory testing revealed a homozygous prothrombin G20210A mutation and antiphospholipid syndrome. Homozygous prothrombin G20210A mutation in conjunction with antiphospholipid syndrome is a rare combination of coagulation disorder. Early intervention with full anticoagulation and subsequent lifelong anticoagulation should be considered in treatment strategy.

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in a child with diabetic ketoacidosis and protein s deficiency: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is considered a hypercoagulable state, which may be exacerbated in patients with thrombophilia and lead to thrombosis.

CASE REPORT

We report on a 5.5-year-old boy, who was admitted to the pediatric department with DKA due to newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. Low-grade fever was reported for 6 days prior to admission and continued during DKA management, with negative septic screening. After DKA management, the child developed symptoms of iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A family history of protein S (PS) deficiency was revealed. He was initially treated intravenously with antibiotics and unfractionated heparin, which, after 2 days, was switched to low-molecular-weight heparin and vitamin K antagonist (VKA) due to poor anticoagulant response. On the 6th day of anticoagulant treatment, the patient presented with pulmonary embolism (PE); he continued with VKA and antibiotics, with significant clinical improvement. Prolonged fever was attributed to DVT and PE. The patient was discharged on oral anticoagulants and insulin.

CONCLUSION

We report on a child with congenital PS deficiency and DKA who developed DVT and PE despite anticoagulant treatment. It is important in children presenting with DKA to seek thoroughly for a medical history of thrombophilia and to start early thromboprophylaxis in such cases in order to prevent a possible thrombosis.

Hypercoagulable states

Hypercoagulable states can be inherited or acquired. Inherited hypercoagulable states can be caused by a loss of function of natural anticoagulant pathways or a gain of function in procoagulant pathways. Acquired hypercoagulable risk factors include a prior history of thrombosis, obesity, pregnancy, cancer and its treatment, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, and myeloproliferative disorders. Inherited hypercoagulable states combine with acquired risk factors to establish the intrinsic risk of venous thromboembolism for each individual. Venous thromboembolism occurs when the risk exceeds a critical threshold. Often a triggering factor, such as surgery, pregnancy, or estrogen therapy, is required to increase the risk above this critical threshold.

Hypercoagulable states

Hypercoagulable states can be inherited or acquired. Inherited hypercoagulable states can be caused by a loss of function of natural anticoagulant pathways or a gain of function in procoagulant pathways. Acquired hypercoagulable risk factors include a prior history of thrombosis, obesity, pregnancy, cancer and its treatment, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, and myeloproliferative disorders. Inherited hypercoagulable states combine with acquired risk factors to establish the intrinsic risk of venous thromboembolism for each individual. Venous thromboembolism occurs when the risk exceeds a critical threshold. Often a triggering factor, such as surgery, pregnancy, or estrogen therapy, is required to increase the risk above this critical threshold.

Lipoprotein (a) and venous thromboembolism in adults: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], a low-density lipoprotein particle linked to apolipoprotein (a), has been recently demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for arterial vascular diseases. However, despite increasing evidence of the association between high Lp(a) and arterial thrombotic diseases, few and conflicting results on the association between high Lp(a) levels and venous thromboembolism have been obtained. The aim of this article is to systematically examine the published data on the association between high Lp(a) levels and venous thromboembolism.

METHODS

A systematic search of all publications listed in the electronic databases (Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library) up to November 2006, using keywords in combination both as MeSH terms and text words, was conducted.

RESULTS

Six case-control studies were included, incorporating 1826 cases of venous thromboembolism and 1074 controls. The summary odds ratios of included case-control studies under a fixed-effects model showed a statistically significant association between Lp(a) levels >300 mg/L and venous thromboembolism: 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.51-2.30; P <.0001. Furthermore, a random-effects model, which accounts for the interstudy variation, yielded a similar estimate of increased risk (odds ratio [OR] 1.77; 95% CI, 1.14-2.75; P=.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The present meta-analysis shows a significant association between high Lp(a) levels and the occurrence of venous thromboembolism in adults. Indeed, the detection of Lp(a) could be of clinical relevance for venous thromboembolism, especially among patients with absence of traditional and thrombophilic risk factors.

Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Patients with Homozygous Prothrombin 20210AA Genotype. A paper from the 2005 William Beaumont Hospital Symposium on Molecular Pathology

Venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) affect an estimated 1 in 1000 people annually, resulting in approximately 50,000 deaths, with prevalence increasing with age. The genetic contributors to thrombosis have been described and further explored within the last 15 years as molecular diagnostic techniques have become more widely used. The prothrombin G20210A mutation is the second most common inherited thrombotic risk factor after factor V Leiden. Generally present in less than 5% of the population, the mutation's prevalence varies greatly with ethnicity. The G20210A mutation confers a mildly increased thrombotic risk that is compounded by the presence of other risk factors. One striking characteristic of the G20210A mutation is the phenotypic heterogeneity of the rare homozygous cases. Forty percent of the reported homozygous cases are asymptomatic. Many of the symptomatic patients have additional risk factors that might compound the thrombotic risk. We present here a review of the literature for the homozygous prothrombin G20210A mutation and describe additional cases that exemplify the heterogeneous nature of this entity.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in a neonate with homozygous prothrombin G20210A genotype

We describe a 7-day-old infant who presented with extensive cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and was found to be homozygous for the prothrombin G20210A gene mutation. No other known risk factors for thrombosis were identified.

Tricuspid valve thrombus and pulmonary embolus in an infant with homozygous thermolabile methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and heterozygous prothrombin G20210A variant

We describe an unusual and interesting case of a full-term infant presenting at 7 days of life with HSV pneumonitis and a tricuspid valve thrombus ultimately requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The infant subsequently developed a pulmonary embolus. The infant was found to be heterozygous for the prothrombin G20210A mutation and homozygous for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C667T mutation. The patient was treated with low molecular weight heparin for a total of 3 months and has not had a recurrent thrombosis. This case illustrates that a combination of congenital and acquired thrombophilic risk factors can contribute to a significant thrombotic event.

Clinical manifestations of the prothrombin G20210A mutation in children: a pediatric coagulation consortium study

The prothrombin G20210A mutation is a common risk factor for thrombosis which increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis, stroke, and fetal loss. There are few publications of its clinical manifestations in children. Our objective was to determine the clinical manifestations of the prothrombin mutation in children. Via survey of pediatric hematologists, we collected data on children with thrombosis and the prothrombin mutation. Thirty-eight patients with a thrombotic event were identified as having the prothrombin mutation. Children with arterial thrombosis were younger, less than half had additional risk factors present at the time of the event, and had a high frequency of central nervous system thrombosis. Children with venous thrombosis were older, almost always had additional risk factors present, and had thrombosis occur most often in the extremities, although there were also a significant number of events in the central venous and cerebral circulation. There was a striking predilection for central nervous system events as 30% of all the events and 67% of the arterial events occurred there. In all, 14/38 children (37%) had central nervous system thrombosis. Unlike factor V Leiden and deficiencies of proteins C and S which cause venous thromboembolism, the prothrombin mutation in children is often associated with arterial thrombosis and with central nervous system events. In children with the prothrombin mutation and venous thrombosis, other risk factors are usually present. Therefore, children with arterial or venous thrombosis of any location should be evaluated for the presence of the prothrombin mutation.

Thromboembolism in children

Acquired and inherited prothrombotic risk factors increase the risk of thrombosis in children. This review is based on "milestone" pediatric reports and new literature data (January 2001-February 2002) on the presence of acquired and inherited prothrombotic risk factors, imaging methods, and treatment modalities in pediatric thromboembolism. After confirming clinically suspected thromboembolism with suitable imaging methods, pediatric patients should be screened for common gene mutations (factor V G1691A, prothrombin G20210A and MTHFR C677T genotypes), rare genetic deficiencies (protein C, protein S, antithrombin, and plasminogen), and new candidates for genetic thrombophilia causing elevated levels of lipoprotein(a), and homocysteine, and probable genetic risk factors (elevations in fibrinogen, factor IX, and factor VIIIC, and decreases in factor XII). Data interpretation is based on age-dependent reference ranges or the identification of causative gene mutations/polymorphisms with respect to individual ethnic backgrounds. Pediatric treatment protocols for acute thromboembolism, including thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy, are mainly adapted from adult patient protocols.