Heparin is commonly used for prevention or treatment of cancer-associated thromboembolism. Recent clinical evidence indicates that heparin, and low-molecular weight heparin improves survival of cancer patients. Experimental evidence from various animal models consistently supports the ability of heparin to attenuate metastasis. Heparin, apart from its anticoagulant activity contains a variety o...

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia can be a serious and difficult-to-diagnose complication of heparin therapy. Serum from patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia can cause heparin-dependent platelet aggregation, but the low sensitivity and specificity of this test limit its clinical usefulness. In this report we describe an assay for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia that is both sensitive ...

Heparin cofactor II is a plasma protein that inhibits thrombin rapidly in the presence of either heparin or dermatan sulfate. We have determined the effects of two glycosaminoglycan-binding proteins, i.e., histidine-rich glycoprotein and platelet factor 4, on these reactions. Inhibition of thrombin by heparin cofactor II and heparin was completely prevented by purified histidine-rich glycoprote...

The pharmacologic characteristics of low-molecular-weight (LMW) heparins and unfractionated heparin are reviewed, and clinical trials comparing LMW heparins with unfractionated heparin for the initial treatment of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) are described. LMW heparins are derived from native heparin and range in mass from 3000 to 8000 daltons. All LMW heparins contain the antithrombin III-speci...

Large multimolecular complexes of heparin with positively charged proteins such as platelet factor 4 (PF4) or protamine can initiate immune responses associated with heparin use in patients, including the most significant adverse event, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Current evidence suggests that platelet-activating antibodies that recognize large multi-molecular complexes (300-700kDa...

Heparin resistance during cardiac surgery is defined as the inability of an adequate heparin dose to increase the activated clotting time (ACT) to the desired level. Failure to attain the target ACT raises concerns that the patient is not fully anticoagulated and initiating cardiopulmonary bypass may result in excessive activation of the hemostatic system. Although antithrombin deficiency has g...

Nadroparin calcium is a low-molecular-weight heparin. Low-molecular-weight heparins have a number of advantages over standard heparin (heparin), but it is not clear if low-molecular-weight heparins have less effect on bones than heparin. Administration of heparin can lead to osteoporosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of nadroparin on the rat osseous system and com...

[35S]Heparin was produced in vitro by incubation of rat peritoneal mast cells with [35S]sulfate and in vivo by injection of [35S]sulfate into rats. The [35S]heparin together with nonlabeled heparin in the mast cells was isolated in native form by mild methods that avoided the use of proteolytic enzymes or high alkali concentrations. The heparin had low anticoagulant activity. Incubations of mas...

The interaction of immunoglobulins with certain acidic polysaccharides was demonstrated by the binding of the sulfated glycans agaropectin and heparin by certain human IgG proteins. Heparin-binding IgG proteins can distinguish between the molecular forms of heparin derived from porcine intestine, bovine lung, and rat skin. The major specificity of these proteins is for native and certain high m...

OBJECTIVES To present a case of heparin induced thrombocytopenia in a patient treated with enoxaparin. METHODS A case of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia was examinated with a detailed platelet count analysis over the time and with detection of platelets antibodies. RESULTS The detection of platelet antobodies and the recovery of platelet count after cessation of enoxaparin strongly support...