ACTIVATED PROTEIN-C RESISTANCE AND ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH VENOUS LEG ULCERS

Background: Hypercoagulable states, which include the presence of anti cardiolipin antibodies (ACAs), have been associated with skin ulcerati on. Resistance to activated protein C (APC), resulting from the factor V Leiden mutation, is a common risk factor for venous thrombosis. Its prevalence among patients with venous leg ulcers is not known. Object ive: Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of factor V Leiden an d ACA in patients with venous leg ulceration. Methods: Twenty-nine con secutive patients with venous leg ulcers were studied. Resistance to A PC was first determined by functional assay based on the partial throm boplastin time. Patients with an abnormally low APC ratio were then su bjected to molecular analysis for confirmation of factor V Leiden. Mea surements of ACA were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: APC resistance was detected in 11 of 26 patients. However, on ly 2 of these 11 patients (7.7% overall) were found to be heterozygous for the factor V Leiden mutation. ACA was present in neither patient with the Leiden mutation but was found in 6 of 21 patients tested (29% overall). Conclusion: The factor V Leiden mutation, unlike ACA: may n ot be more prevalent in patients with venous leg ulcers than in the ge neral population. Our results emphasize the importance of molecular an alysis for factor V Leiden in patients with APC resistance.