Haematologica, Vol 93, Issue 1, 137-140 doi:10.3324/haematol.11677
Copyright © 2008 by Ferrata Storti Foundation
Inflammation-associated ADAMTS13 deficiency promotes formation of ultra-large von Willebrand factor
Clemens L. Bockmeyer1,
Ralf A. Claus1,,
Ulrich Budde2,
Karim Kentouche3,
Reinhard Schneppenheim4,
Wolfgang Lösche1,
Konrad Reinhart1,
Frank M. Brunkhorst1
1 Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena
2 Lab-Association Prof. Arndt and Partners, Coagulation Laboratory, Hamburg
3 Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena and
4 Children's University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Germany
Correspondence: Ralf A. Claus, PhD, Dept. of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany. E-mail: ralf.claus{at}med.uni-jena.de

ABSTRACT
In a prospective, longitudinal study, we investigated the association
between decreased ADAMTS13 activity and impaired hemostasis,
as well as organ dysfunctions in patients with systemic inflammation
due to extracorporeal cardiopulmonary circuit or with severe
sepsis. Similar to negative acute phase proteins, ADAMTS13 activity
declined stepwise according to the extent of inflammatory responses.
A marked imbalance between ADAMTS13 activity and VWF antigen
level was associated with the appearance of ultra-large VWF
multimers in plasma, with organ dysfunction and lethality. Our
data support the view that systemic inflammation results in
an ADAMTS13 deficiency which activates hemostasis.
Key words: ADAMTS13, extracorporeal circulation, sepsis, systemic inflammation, organ dysfunction, platelets, thrombotic microangiopathy.

Introduction
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) denotes the complex
findings in patients with systemic activation of the innate
immune response by infectious or non-infectious insults. The
pathophysiology of SIRS involves release of cytokines, activation
of endothelial cells and neutrophils. The concomitant activation
of coagulation factors and blood platelets may result in disseminated
intravascular coagulation (DIC) and may also contribute to organ
dysfunction.
1 ADAMTS13 is the principal physiological modulator
of the size and function of von Willebrand factor (VWF) in plasma.
2 In cases of severe ADAMTS13 deficiency such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic
purpura (TTP), ultra-large VWF multimers (ULVWF) appear in plasma
causing platelet activation and subsequent thrombotic microangiopathy.
This may be associated with severe organ failure.
3 Decreased
ADAMTS13 activity is described in sepsis
4 and mild or severe
SIRS, such as strenuous exercise or cardiac surgery.
5,6 An
acquired deficiency of the plasma protease ADAMTS13 is one of
the mechanisms that may contribute to platelet activation in
SIRS and sepsis. The aim of our study was to contribute further
evidence of a possible role for an imbalance between ADAMTS13
and VWF in SIRS and sepsis-associated organ failure. Therefore,
we measured ADAMTS13/VWF balance in groups of patients with
SIRS and sepsis of various causes, stages of disease severity
and organ failure.
7,8

Design and Methods
After obtaining institutional ethical approval and written informed
consent, three groups of Intensive Cure Unit (ICU)-patients
were studied: (i) twenty four patients who underwent
elective cardiac surgery with a low risk of developing post-operative
organ dysfunction. These data were used as ICU controls; (ii)
Twenty two patients after
non-elective on-pump cardiac surgery
with a high risk of developing organ dysfunction;
9 plasma samples
were taken on five consecutive post-operative days; and (iii)
eleven patients with severe sepsis or septic shock.
10 Plasma
samples were obtained on a daily basis until discharge or death.
A total number of 133 patient days were evaluated. Demographic
and clinical data obtained on the first day on the ICU and bio-chemical
variables determined on the first and last day (discharge or
death) on ICU are presented in
Table 1. For additional information
analyzing ADAMTS13 activity, VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF multimer
analysis and calculation of ISTH-score for overt DIC see online
supplementary information.
Statistical analysis
The non-parametric Mann-Whitney-U test and ANOVA were performed
to compare patient groups as well as between survivors and non-survivors.
p values <0.05 were considered significant. The results are
presented as medians and 1
st/3
rd quartile.

Results and Discussion
As shown in
Table 1, disease severity (APACHEII and SAPSII-score)
and severity of organ dysfunction (SOFA-score) as well as the
modified ISTH-score gradually increased on ICU day 1 when comparing
ICU controls, non-elective cardiac surgery patients, and patients
with severe sepsis. There were no differences between survivors
and non-survivors. A similar trend was found for VWF:Ag, IL-6
and procalcitonin, while ADAMTS13 was lowest in sepsis and highest
in ICU-controls on day 1. In all septic patients and in all
patients with non-elective cardiac surgery ADAMTS13 was below
the lower limit of normal (LLN, 40%).
9 This was found in 33%
of the ICU-controls. There were significant differences in platelet
counts among the three patient groups on ICU day 1. A comparison
of data obtained on the last day of ICU showed that non-surviving
septic patients had significantly lower ADAMTS13 activity and
higher IL-6 levels (approximately 15-30-fold) compared to survivors
of sepsis or patients with non-elective cardiac surgery. No
differences were found in VWF:Ag level and platelet count. There
were significant time-dependent changes between the first and
the last ICU day in patients with non-elective cardiac surgery
in terms of VWF:Ag (1.7-fold increase) and platelet count (MWU,
p<0.01) while the other variables remained relatively unchanged.
However, we observed a significant increase in ADAMTS13 activity
and platelet count in septic patients and a decrease in IL-6
and procalcitonin levels in survivors, but not in non-survivors
(ANOVA
p<0.01,
Table 1). In addition, in non-survivors, we
found an inverse course of IL-6 and VWF:Ag (increase) with ADAMTS13
activity (decrease). When all patients and ICU controls were
considered, there was a decrease of ADAMTS13 levels to values
<30% on 143 and values <10% on 19 out of 267 patient days.
Using pooled patient data within 24 hours of ICU admission,
further associations between ADAMTS13 activity, disease severity
and organ dysfunction could be determined. ADAMTS13 gradually
decreased as SOFA-score increased (
Figure 1). At moderate organ
dysfunction (SOFA-score <7) the median activity was above
the
Lower Limit of Normal of 40%, and was as low as 20% when
SOFA-score was >13. A similar association was found among
ADAMTS13, IL-6, or procalcitonin. Patients with IL-6 or procalcitonin
levels within the third tertiles had significantly lower ADAMTS13
activities compared with patients in the first tertiles (
Figure 1).
The presence of ULVWF is a condition for severe organ dysfunction
in TTP (see
Figure 2).
2 Presence of ULVWF was found in septic
and non-elective cardiac surgery patients. ULVWF was found in
75% of analyzed patients with SIRS-associated organ dysfunction
and in all septic patients (
Figures 2A, C and E). ULVWF disappeared
in a surviving septic patient, but persisted in a non-survivor
(
Figure 2). The disappearance of ULVWF was accompanied by a
substantial increase of ADAMTS13 activity over time in the surviving
patient to
Lower Limit of Normal while it successively decreased
in the non-surviving patient with a final drop to non-detectable
levels (<5%) two days prior to death (
Figures 2A-D). Infusion
of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) resulted in a transient increase
of ADAMTS13 activity (
Figures 2A and C). As proof of principle
we analyzed pooled patient data for an inverse relation between
ADAMTS13 activity and presence of ULVWF. ADAMTS13 activity was
significantly lower at days with ULVWF compared with days without
ULVWF (
Figure 3A). To prove an association between ADAMTS13
activity and activation of coagulation we divided pooled patient
data into those with ADAMTS13 activity above and below 30%.
Figure 3B demonstrates that low activity was associated with
a significantly higher DIC-score. The relation between low ADAMTS13
activity and disturbed hemostasis was also clearly seen by an
evaluation of changes in platelet counts. In all patients and
ICU-controls, ADAMTS13 activity was significantly lower on days
with a decrease in platelet count >30% compared with days
with minor changes or with an increase in platelet count (27
[21/29] vs. 37 [33/40]%,
p<0.01). Therefore, low ADAMTS13
activity and presence of ULVWF contribute to both activation
of coagulation and platelets resulting in thrombocytopenia.
In conclusion, we demonstrated that an acquired, diminished
ADAMTS13 activity is not only restricted to pediatric patients
with sepsis and adults with sepsis-associated DIC. Recently
published data documented a higher incidence of acute renal
dysfunction accompanied by highly active VWF in patients with
residual ADAMTS13 activity <20%.
4,10–12 Given this,
we can conclude: (i) severe deficiency of ADAMTS13 results in
consumption of platelets and is not restricted to genetic mutations
or auto immune diseases; (ii) ADAMTS13 and VWF interact to form
a fine-tuned ADAMTS13/VWF system; and (iii) there is association
of an acquired ADAMTS13 deficiency with the severity of inflammatory
host response that is independent of its origin. Given the continuing
high mortality in patients with SIRS and sepsis, assessment
of ADAMTS13 activity and detection of ULVWF may be of major
clinical relevance. This may lead to changes in patient management
since plasma exchange using enzyme-containing plasma preparations
such as FFP may restore the capacity to cleave ULVWF in the
circulation, as shown in patients with high risk developing
veno-occlusive disease.
13 This therapeutic approach also needs
to be tested for sepsis in controlled prospective studies.

Footnotes
Authors Contributions
CLB and RAC performed biochemical experiments and were responsible for experimental analysis and data interpretation. UB provided experimental assistance for the presentation of ULVWF and participated in analysis of ADAMTS-13 activity. KK provided plasma samples of TTP patients and RS recombinant VWF. WL and KR provided substantial and helpful comments throughout the study. FMB had the original idea for the study and interpreted clinical data. All authors participated in the interpretation of results, and reviewed and approved the final version. The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.
The online version of this article contains a supplemental appendix.
Funding: the study was supported in part by a grant from the Thuringian Ministry of Science and Arts (TMWFK, project B-309-00014) and by the Centre for Clinical Research, Jena (IZKF), subproject 4.8. CLB has received financial support from the Förderverein Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena (Loder-Grant for young investigators). Neither the sponsors nor any pharmaceutical company were involved in study design, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, in the preparation of the manuscript or the decision for submission.
Received for publication May 3, 2007.
Accepted for publication August 9, 2007.

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