HEMOSTATIC ABNORMALITIES IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

Patients affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently suffe r from thromboembolic events. Aims of this study were to investigate h emostatic system and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in IBD patients. Forty-one patients affected by Crohn's disease (CD) and 19 by ulcerative colitis (UC) were studied, compared to 40 healthy control subjects. Platelet count (PLT), PT, aPTT, fibrinogen (Fib), p rothrombin fragment F1+2, antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC), protein S (PS), factor XIII (FXIII), plasminogen (PLG), plasminogen activator i nhibitor (PAI), spontaneous platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plas ma (PRP-SPA) and in whole blood (WE-SPA), and antiphospholipid antibod ies (aPL) were evaluated. PLT, Fib, F1+2 and WE-SPA were significantly increased in IBD patients (p at least < 0.05) both in active and inac tive phases; aPL positivity was more frequent (p < 0.05) and FXIII was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in comparison to control subjects. The thrombophilic state of IBD patients is not related to the degree of activity of the disease or to previous thrombotic events; aPL expre ss the immunological alterations connected with IBD and are not the ma in cause of thrombotic events.