Summary
Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have abnormalities in the cellular and
plasmatic systems regulating blood homeostasis, which may contribute to their risk
for thrombotic and bleeding complications. However, their relative contributions in
this population are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution
of enzymatic and cellular abnormalities in ESRD patients on haemodialysis as assessed
by thromboelastography (TEG®). Whole blood samples were analysed by TEG in ESRD patients (n=70) and in a control
group (n=70) of subjects with coronary artery disease. Profiles were constructed considering
the maximum amplitude (MA), a marker of platelet function, and reaction time (R),
a marker of thrombin generation, values. R values were higher in ESRD patients compared
with the control group (8.2 ± 2.8 vs. 5.7 ± 1.9 minutes [min], p <0.0001), while there
were no differences in MA (66.7 ± 8.1 vs. 66.2 ± 6.6 mm, p=0.562). Nor mal manufacturer
defined coagulation (2–8 min) and aggregation (51–69 mm) parameters were present in
31% of ESRD patients compared with 56% of controls (p=0.006). A hypocoagulable status
was observed in 42.9% of ESRD patients compared with 8.9% in the control group (p<0.0001).
There were no differences in platelet function, which showed a hyperaggregable status
in 41.4% versus 35.7% of cases (p=0.603). Abnormalities in both parameters were observed
in 15.7% of ESRD patients versus 1.4% in the control group (p = 0.004), which were
more common among older patients (p= 0.005). In conclusion, patients with ESRD have
an elevated prevalence of abnormal haemostatic profiles, which may contribute to their
elevated risk of bleeding and thrombotic complications.
keywords
End stage renal disease - platelet function - coagulation