Background: Previous studies observed the high prevalence of venous thromboembolism in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). The current study analyzed the coagulation and fibrinolysis index profile in AAV patients.
Methods: The current study recruited 321 AAV patients in active stage and 78 AAV patients in quiescent stage. Coagulation and fibrinolysis index profiles in these AAV patients were analysed, and their associations with various clinical and pathological parameters were further investigated.
Results: The circulating levels of D-dimer, fibrin degradation products and platelet count were significantly higher in AAV patients in active stage compared with those in remission [0.8 (0.4, 1.5) mg/L vs. 0.28 (0.2, 0.55) mg/L, P<0.05; 5.6 (5.0, 10.0) mg/L vs. 1.9 (1.2, 2.8) mg/L, P<0.05; 269±127×109/L vs. 227±80×109/L, P<0.05, respectively]. Among the 321 AAV patients in active stage, compared with patients with normal levels of D-dimer, patients with elevated D-dimer levels had significantly higher levels of initial serum creatinine, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive protein and the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Scores (P = 0.014, P<0.001, P<0.001, P = 0.002, respectively). Moreover, correlation analysis showed that the levels of D-dimer correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C reactive protein levels (r = 0.384, P<0.001; r = 0.380, P<0.001, respectively).
Conclusion: Patients with active AAV are in hypercoagulable states, and circulating levels of D-dimer are associated with disease activity of AAV.