Evaluation of the Effects of Antithrombin III, Homocysteine, Factor VIII Level, and Acquired Risk Factors on Thromboembolism in Patients Referring to Hajar Hospital in Shahrekord, Iran

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) and the resulting complications are common causes of long-term morbidity and hospital-related mortality. The pathogenesis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) involves a combination of hereditary and acquired factors. In the present study, the acquired risk factors, antithrombin III, homocysteine, and factor VIII were evaluated in patients with thromboembolic events at Hajar Hospital of Shahrekord, Iran. In this case-control study, 25 VTE patients and 25 healthy controls, without a prior history of VTE, were evaluated. DVT and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) were diagnosed by Doppler sonography and CT angiography of the chest, respectively. Serum homocysteine level was evaluated by ELISA kit, antithrombin III by chromogenic assay, and factor VIII level by coagulation assay. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS version 18. The prevalence of thrombophilia in VTE patients was estimated at 32% (8 out of 25 patients). Aging was a significant acquired risk factor for VTE (12 patients, 52%). The results showed that 12% of the subjects had hyperhomocysteinemia, including 20% of the case group and 4% of the control group (P=0.82); also, 18% of the study group had low antithrombin level. None of the groups had high levels of factor VIII. Considering the higher prevalence of antithrombin deficiency in our study, in comparison with previous research in other regions, further studies with a larger sample size are required.