Background: The thrombin mutant, W215A/E217A (WE-thrombin), is currently undergoing clinical trials for determining its therapeutic potential as an anti-thrombotic and cytoprotective drug. Mechanistically, it is thought that WE-thrombin exerts its protective effects indirectly through thrombomodulin (TM)-dependent activation of protein C (APC). APC exerts protective effects by both enzymatic inactivation of procoagulant cofactors Va and VIIIa in the anticoagulant and cleavage of Arg46 of protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) in the anti-inflammatory pathways. We recently discovered that upon binding TM, thrombin can cleave PAR1-Arg46 with ∼10-fold higher efficiency than APC to elicit cytoprotective signaling effects in endothelial cells.
Objective: In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that WE-thrombin may have direct PAR1-dependent cytoprotective signaling function.
Methods: We evaluated the direct signaling and PAR1-Arg46 cleavage functions of WE-thrombin by transfecting PAR1-knockout endothelial cells or HEK-293 cells with a PAR1 construct which has an intact Arg46, but its Arg41 has been replaced with an Ala (PAR1-R41A).
Results: We discovered that WE-thrombin elicits direct cytoprotective signaling in transfected endothelial cells through cleavage of PAR1-Arg46. This conclusion was supported by a PAR1-Arg46 cleavage-reporter assay using HEK-293 cells transfected with both TM and NanoLuc-luciferase labeled PAR1-R41A constructs.
Conclusion: These results suggest that a direct WE-thrombin activation of PAR1 through cleavage of Arg46 may primarily be responsible for the cytoprotective signaling function of WE-thrombin independent of its function as a protein C activator.
Pediatric post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is the most common long-term complication of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in children, which is in turn the most common thrombotic event in childhood. Diagnosis and severity rating of PTS are based on the findings of signs and symptoms in the DVT-affected extremity. The lack of objective methods to diagnose or monitor for PTS and the consequent need to rely on symptoms can be an additional challenge in the pediatric population. Although the importance of long-term PTS monitoring in children with upper and lower extremity DVT is increasingly being recognized, the implementation of long-term follow-up in clinical practice is still suboptimal. Similarly, the management of pediatric PTS is inconsistent, in part due to the limited number of studies in this population to guide practice. The rising recognition of pediatric DVT is expected to lead to more cases of PTS in the near future and, therefore, efforts to further disseminate current knowledge on pediatric PTS among treaters are relevant. In this manuscript, we present two representative cases of children with extremity DVT to address key aspects of PTS diagnosis related to patient follow-up and family counselling. This manuscript complements the guidance developed by Post-Thrombotic Sequelae Working Party of the Scientific and Standardization Subcommittee on Pediatric and Neonatal Thrombosis of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis to optimize the clinical care of children with or at risk of PTS.
Background: Hyperfibrinolysis is the excessive fibrinolytic activity observed in severely injured patients with trauma-induced coagulopathy(TIC). Previous studies suggest that inflammatory cytokines initiate inflammatory responses triggered by trauma and could impact on the coagulation cascade; however, the association between inflammatory cytokines and the development of hyperfibrinolysis has not been fully evaluated.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of the inflammatory cytokines dynamics in TIC, particularly hyperfibrinolysis.
Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the Pragmatic, Randomized Optimal Platelet and Plasma Ratios trial. Study patients were stratified into the hyperfibrinolysis and non-hyperfibrinolysis groups using TEG LY30 values and plasmin-antiplasmin complex. Serial values of inflammatory cytokine level(0-24 hours post-admission) were compared between the hyperfibrinolysis and non-hyperfibrinolysis groups. Subgroup analysis investigated the cytokines comparing the traumatic brain injury patients with hyperfibrinolysis and those without hyperfibrinolysis RESULTS: A total of 477 patients were included(hyperfibrinolysis:45, non-hyperfibrinolysis:432). The levels of interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin 1 receptor antagonist(IL-1Ra), major vault protein 1(MVP-1), were significantly higher in the hyperfibrinolysis group compared to those in the non-hyperfibrinolysis group across the time points within 24 hours after presentation. The level of platelet derived growth factor subunit B(PDFG-B) upon arrival was significantly higher in the hyperfibrinolysis group. The IL-6, IL-1Ra, and MVP-1 levels peaked at 4 hours post-admission and PDGF-B peaked upon arrival and downtrended thereafter.
Conclusion: The current study revealed that that IL-6, IL-1Ra, and MVP-1 trended upward for 4 hours post-admission, and PDGF-B peaked upon arrival and downtrended thereafter in severely injured patients with hyperfibrinolysis.

