Association of smoking and cancer with the risk of venous thromboembolism: the Scandinavian Thrombosis and Cancer cohort

Fibrin Clot Properties in Cancer: Impact on Cancer-Associated Thrombosis

Cancer is associated with a high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and its recurrence. There is evidence that the prothrombotic fibrin clot phenotype, involving the formation of denser and stiffer clots relatively resistant to lysis, occurs in cancer patients, which is in part related to enhanced inflammation, oxidative stress, and coagulation activation, along with the release of neutrophil extracellular traps, indicating that fibrin-related mechanisms might contribute to cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT). Multiple myeloma and its therapy have been most widely explored in terms of altered fibrin characteristics, but prothrombotic fibrin clot features have also been reported in patients with active solid cancer, including lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancer. Patient-related factors such as advanced age, smoking, and comorbidities might also affect fibrin clot characteristics and the risk of CAT. Prothrombotic fibrin clot features have been shown to predict the detection of cancer in patients following VTE during follow-up. Cancer-specific therapies and anticoagulation can favorably modify the phenotype of a fibrin clot, which may alter the course of CAT. It is unclear whether the fibrin clot phenotype might help identify patients with CAT who are more likely to experience recurrent events. This narrative review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of fibrin clot structure and function in cancer patients in the context of CAT.

The interaction effect of transfusion history and previous stroke history on the risk of venous thromboembolism in stroke patients: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Blood transfusion and previous stroke history are two independent risk factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in stroke patients. Whether the potential interaction of transfusion history and previous stroke history is associated with a greater risk of VTE remains unclear. This study aims to explore whether the combination of transfusion history and previous stroke history increases the risk of VTE among Chinese stroke patients.

METHODS

A total of 1525 participants from the prospective Stroke Cohort of Henan Province were enrolled in our study. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the associations among transfusion history, previous stroke history and VTE. The interaction was evaluated on both multiplicative and additive scales. The odds ratio (95% CI), relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (S) of interaction terms were used to examine multiplicative and additive interactions. Finally, we divided our population into two subgroups by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and re-evaluated the interaction effect in both scales.

RESULTS

A total of 281 (18.4%) participants of 1525 complicated with VTE. Transfusion and previous stroke history were associated with an increased risk of VTE in our cohort. In the multiplicative scale, the combination of transfusion and previous stroke history was statistically significant on VTE in both unadjusted and adjusted models (P<0.05). For the additive scale, the RERI shrank to 7.016 (95% CI: 1.489 ~ 18.165), with the AP of 0.650 (95% CI: 0.204 ~ 0.797) and the S of 3.529 (95% CI: 1.415 ~ 8.579) after adjusting for covariates, indicating a supra-additive effect. In subgroups, the interaction effect between transfusion history and previous stroke history was pronouncedly associated with the increased risk of VTE in patients with NIHSS score > 5 points (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that there may be a potential synergistic interaction between transfusion history and previous stroke history on the risk of VTE. Besides, the percentage of VTE incidence explained by interaction increased with the severity of stroke. Our findings will provide valuable evidence for thromboprophylaxis in Chinese stroke patients.

Establishment and verification a nomogram for predicting portal vein thrombosis presence among admitted cirrhotic patients

Background

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is an increasingly recognized complication of cirrhosis and possibly associated with mortality. This study aims to evaluate provoking factors for PVT, then establish a concise and efficient nomogram for predicting PVT presence among admitted cirrhotic patients.

Materials and methods

All cirrhotic patients admitted in Hunan Provincial People's Hospital between January 2010 and September 2020 were retrospectively reviewed, the clinical and laboratory data were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression method were used for screening the independent predictors and constructing the nomogram. The calibration curve was plotted to evaluate the consistent degree between observed outcomes and predicted probabilities. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was used to assess the discriminant performance. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was carried out to evaluate the benefits of nomogram.

Results

A total of 4,479 patients with cirrhosis were enrolled and 281 patients were identified with PVT. Smoking history, splenomegaly, esophagogastric varices, surgical history, red blood cell transfusion, and D-dimer were independent risk factors for PVT in cirrhosis. A nomogram was established with a good discrimination capacity and predictive efficiency with an the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.704 (95% CI: 0.664-0.745) in the training set and 0.685 (95% CI: 0.615-0.754) in the validation set. DCA suggested the net benefit of nomogram had a superior risk threshold probability.

Conclusion

A concise and efficient nomogram was established with good performance, which may aid clinical decision making and guide best treatment measures.

Prognostic Impact of Active Cigarette Smoking on Mortality in Patients with Acute Venous Thromboembolic Events, Findings from Real World Data

Background and Objectives: The influence of smoking habits on mortality, VTE recurrence, and major bleeding in patients receiving anticoagulant therapy for venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been consistently evaluated. Materials and Methods: We used data from the RIETE (Registro Enfermedad TromboEmbólica) registry to compare mortality, VTE recurrence, and major bleeding risk in smoking versus non-smoking patients with acute VTE. Results: 50,881 patients (43,426 non-smoking and 7455 smoking patients) were included. After a median follow-up of 8.8 months, 7110 patients died (fatal PE 292 and fatal bleeding 281), 3243 presented VTE recurrence, and 1579 had major bleeding. At multivariate analysis, smoking behavior was associated with a higher hazard of death, (HR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.19–1.40). The risk of VTE recurrence was marginally increased in smoking patients compared to non-smoking patients (1.14; 95% CI: 1.02–1.27). Major bleeding did not differ in smoking and non-smoking patients (1.15; 95% CI: 0.96–1.38). The presence of cancer did not appear to influence the association between smoking habits and death (HR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.22–1.47 in cancer patients and HR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.45 in non-cancer patients, respectively) Conclusions: the risk of death after an acute episode of VTE appeared to be higher in smoking than in non-smoking patients and this risk is higher between patients presenting PE at the onset of symptoms.

Application Effect of the Standard Operating Procedure in the Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the application effect of the standard operating procedure (SOP) in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

METHODS

The clinical data of patients admitted to respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, and geriatric departments in the hospital (November 2020-May 2021) were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients in line with the inclusion criteria were equally randomized into the observation group (OG) and the control group (CG). The CG was treated with the routine nursing, and the OG received the SOP of VTE prevention additionally. After the record of the incidence of VTE and nursing satisfaction of the two groups, scores of VTE awareness were compared.

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty patients were included in this study, and no obvious difference was found in the general data of patients (P > 0.05). Compared with the CG, the incidence of VTE of the OG was obviously lower (P < 0.05). After nursing, compared with the CG, scores of VTE awareness in the OG were conspicuously higher (P < 0.001), and scores of VTE awareness of the nursing staff were conspicuously higher than those before nursing (P < 0.001). Compared with the CG, nursing satisfaction of the OG was obviously higher (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

SOP can reduce the incidence of VTE of patients, improve their disease awareness, and enhance their nursing satisfaction, which should be popularized in practice.