A Recombinant Thrombomodulin Improves Haemostatic Disturbance and Inflammation in Setpic Patients with DIC

Recently, a recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rTM) has become commercially available for patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in Japan, which is composed of the active, extracellular domain of thrombomodulin. However, its anti-thromobotic and anti-inflammatory effect during the clinical course in patients with DIC has not been reported. Aim: To investigate the effect of rTM on mortality, haemostatic disturbance, and inflammation in septic patients with DIC. Methods: The patients with sepsis who met the Japanese diagnostic criteria for acute DIC and showed a level of antithrombin (AT) lower than 70% were recruited and divided into two groups, one group (Control group) treated with AT products and Gabexate mesilate (GM), and the other group (TM group) treated with rTM (0.06 mg kg(-1) for 30 min, once daily) in addition to AT and GM. The effect of rTM during the clinical course were investigated from the differences between TM and Control groups in mortality, DIC scoring, haemostatic and inflammatory markers on days 0, 3, 5, 7 (day 0 is just before initiation of therapy). Results & Discussion: Eighteen patients were included in the TM group, and 16 patients in the Control group. There were no differences in APACHEII score at day 0, DIC score at day 0, or mortality at day 28 between the groups. The effects of the rTM were as follows; 1) Patients in the TM group showed earlier DIC resolution at day 5 than Control at day 7. 2) Hypercoagulable state expressed by the increased levels of soluble fibrin monomer (SF) or thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) was improved more quickly in TM group compared with Control group, suggesting that rTM decreased thrombin generation. 3) AT was increased much more at day 3 after AT product administration in TM group than in Control group, which also can be explained by suppression of thrombin generation by rTM. 4) Increased levels of the complex of α2PI/plasmin, D-dimer, and fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product were also improved earlier in TM group than Control group. 5) Plasmin-alfa2 plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC) was significantly lower at day 7 in TM group than Control group, suggesting anti-fibrinolytic effect of rTM. 6) Decreased level of ADAMTS13 increased more quickly in TM group. 5) TNF-α, IL-6, HMGB1 were decreased significantly at day 3 compared with day 1 only in TM group. These anti-inflammatory effect can be evoked through direct sequestration of HMGB1 by rTM or decreased thrombin generation by rTM, because thrombin is a strong pro-inflammatory molecule through PAR1. Conclusion: rTM may be beneficial in improving septic DIC via its anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.