For prevention and treatment of thrombotic diseases with an anticoagulant drug it is important that an adequate dose is given to avoid occurrence or recurrence of thrombosis, without increasing the risk of bleeding and other adverse events to unacceptable levels. The aim of this thesis was to develop mathematical models that describe the dose-concentration (pharmacokinetic) and concentration-response (pharmacodynamic) relationships of direct thrombin inhibitors, in order to estimate optimal dosages for treatment and long-term secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic models were developed, based on data from clinical investigations in healthy volunteers and patients receiving intravenous inogatran, subcutaneous melagatran and/or its oral prodrug ximelagatran. The benefit-risk profiles of different ximelagatran dosages were estimated using clinical utility functions. These functions were based on the probabilities and fatal consequences of thrombosis, bleeding and elevation of the hepatic enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALAT). The studies demonstrate that the pharmacokinetics of melagatran and ximelagatran were predictable and well correlated to renal function. The coagulation marker, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), increased non-linearly with increasing thrombin inhibitor plasma concentration. Overall, the systemic melagatran exposure (AUC) and APTT were similarly predictive of thrombosis and bleedings. The identified relationship between the risk of ALAT-elevation and melagatran AUC suggests that the incidence approaches a maximum at high exposures. The estimated clinical utility was favourable compared to placebo in the overall study population and in special subgroups of patients following fixed dosing of ximelagatran for long-term secondary prevention of VTE. Individualized dosing was predicted to add limited clinical benefit in this indication. The models developed can be used to support the studied dosage and for selection of alternative dosing strategies that may improve the clinical outcome of ximelagatran treatment. In addition, the models may be extrapolated to aid the dose selection in clinical trials with other direct thrombin inhibitors.

A mathematical model of blood coagulation under defined flow conditions, initiated and modulated by spatially discrete regions of surface bound tissue factor (TF) and thrombomodulin (TM), respectively, is presented. The model incorporates fluid phase and surface-associated reactions of the extrinsic, intrinsic, and common pathways, as well as three inhibitory pathways. The spatially heterogeneous model is formulated by finite element method, and an effective prothrombotic zone, which quantifies the spatial propagation of thrombin generation is defined. Characteristic features of coagulation are simulated under physiologic conditions, and the behavior of the system in response to perturbations in TF and TM surface densities, TF site dimensions, and wall shear rate is explored. The major findings of these studies include: (i) The model system responds in an 'all-or-none', threshold-like manner to changes in model parameters. (ii) It was found that prothrombotic effects may extend significantly beyond the dimensions of the spatially discrete site of TF expression in both axial and radial directions. (iii) The relationship between the length of the effective prothrombotic zone and the interval distance between tandem sites of TF expression dictate the net response of the system. Additive prothrombotic effects of sub-clinical lesions as well as suppressive antithrombotic effects of intervening TM-containing regions were observed. Secondly, the computational model is applied to calculate an individualized, systems-based metric of clotting potential for 210 pre-menopausal women in the Leiden Thrombophilia Study (LETS). The simulated variable was found to be a highly predictive parameter for deep venous thrombosis risk.

Les monocytes jouent un rôle procoagulant majeur au cours du Syndrome Coronaire Aigu (SCA). Ils expriment à leur surface le Facteur Tissulaire (FT), initiateur majeur de la génération de la thrombine et sont à l’origine de la génération de icroparticules (MPs) procoagulantes exprimant également le FT. L’inhibition de la génération de thrombine et/ou de la génération des MPs monocytaires est ainsi d’un grand intérêt dans le contexte coronaire. Dans la première partie de ce travail, nous avons effectué une étude fondamentale évaluant, in vitro, l’effet d’anticoagulants utilisés dans le SCA, particulièrement le fondaparinux, ainsi que l’effet de l’interleukine-10 (IL-10), une cytokine anti-inflammatoire dotée des propriétés anti-athéromateuses. Ces deux types de molécules ont été analysées seules ou de façon combinée dans des modèles de génération de thrombine et de microvésiculation monocytaire. Ainsi, nous démontrons 1- que l’IL-10 inhibe lamicrovésiculation monocytaire, 2- que les molécules anticoagulantes inhibent d’avantage la génération de thrombine médiée par la MP monocytaire que celle médiée par le monocyte activé 3- que l’IL-10 potentialise l’effet anticoagulant du fondaparinux. Dans la mesure où la production de l’IL-10 est contrôlée génétiquement, nous avons évalué, dans la seconde partie de ce travail, l’association possible entre 5 polymorphismes génétiques de l’IL-10 et lerisque de pathologie coronaire aigue, et ce, dans une population tunisienne (291 patients/291témoins sains). Nous rapportons une association positive entre les variants polymorphes, IL-10 -592A (Odds ratio : 1,82) et IL-10R3 (Odds ratio : 1,46), et la pathologie coronaire. De façon intéressante, la littérature rapporte que ces deux variants polymorphes sont associés à une synthèse faible d’IL-10. En conclusion, nos résultats ne nous autorisent pas à proposer l’étude systématique des polymorphismes de l’IL-10 dans l’appréciation du risque coronaire aigu chez le patient. En revanche, nos résultats suggèrent que l’IL-10 pourrait constituer une molécule prometteuse dans l’arsenal des thérapeutiques anti-thrombotiques. / Procoagulant monocytes play a major role in the pathogeny of the acute coronary syndrome(ACS). Indeed, they express Tissue Factor (TF), the main trigger of thrombin generation, and generate highly procoagulant TF-bearing microparticles (MPs). It is therefore a major issue to control MPassociated thrombin generation in SCA. This led us to evaluate, in the first part of this work, the effect of anticoagulant molecules used in the management of ACS (including fondaparinux) but also of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, which can modulate the progression of atheroma. Both types of molecules were evaluated separately or incombination, in a in vitro model of thrombin generation and monocytic MP generation. Ours results show that: 1- IL-10 inhibits monocytic-MP generation; 2- anticoagulants inhibit more potently MP-induced thrombin generation than activated monocyte-induced thrombin generation; 3- IL-10 potentiates fondaparinux inhibitory effect on thrombin generation.As IL-10 production is genetically controlled, we evaluated the possible influence of 5 well-described IL- 10 polymorphisms on the risk of ACS among Tunisians (291 patients/291 healthy controls). Results show that two polymorphic variants of IL-10 i.e. SNP-592A (Odds ratio: 1,82) and microsatellite IL-10R3 Odds ratio: 1,46) are significantly associated with the risk of SCA. Interestingly, the literature reports that these two polymorphic variants are associated with low levels of IL-10 production. In conclusion: Our results do not allow us to recommend the analysis of IL-10 polymorphisms in the assessment of ACS risk. However, our data suggest that IL-10 is a promising antithrombotic pharmacological agent, in this clinical situation.

Submitted by Vasti Diniz (vastijpa@hotmail.com) on 2017-09-05T11:37:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 12321568 bytes, checksum: e2f13c138059f4c0542b89fde505f812 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-05T11:37:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 12321568 bytes, checksum: e2f13c138059f4c0542b89fde505f812 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Snakebites (Ophidism) are listed by the World Health Organization as a neglected tropical disease and are considered a public health problem. Among the activities triggered by envenoming from Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom, the coagulant one is intriguing and contradictory, curious and contradictory, since the venom has, in its composition, coagulation precursor proteins and anticoagulant proteins. The present work describes, in vitro, the performance of crude venom, protein fractions and purified proteins of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom on the coagulation factors of human plasma secondary hemostasis. The coagulant and / or anticoagulant activity of crude venom, protein fractions and purified proteins were evaluated directly on human citrated plasma. Changes in Prothrombin Time (PT) and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT) were measured with commercial kits. Clots formed in the presence of crude venom, protein fraction # 7 and Gyroxin displayed as a hyaline flexible mass and steady state. The evaluation of the clot formation time in the presence of the protein fractions # 1 to # 6 and isolated proteins (Crotoxin complex, Crotoxin A, Crotoxin B and Crotamine), after the commercial tests (PT and APTT), allowed to infer that these proteins interfere in all pathways of the coagulation cascade. Therefore, the Crotoxin A, Crotoxin B, Crotoxin and Crotamine proteins may act similarly to some anticoagulants direct inhibitors of thrombin, factor Xa and antithrombin III activator. Moreover, Crotoxin B can inhibits the formation of the prothrombinase complex by direct interaction with factor Xa. Consequently, the protein content from C. d. terrificus snake venom can act synergistically in coagulation and dysfunction and / or inhibition of natural anticoagulants unbalancing hemostasis. / Acidentes ofídicos (ofidismo) são listados, pela Organização Mundial de Saúde, como doença tropical negligenciada e são considerados um problema de saúde pública. Dentre as atividades desencadeadas pelo empeçonhamento por Crotalus durissus terrificus, a coagulante é curiosa e contraditória, pois a peçonha apresenta, em sua composição, proteínas precursoras da coagulação e proteínas anticoagulantes. O presente trabalho descreve, in vitro, a atuação da peçonha bruta, de frações proteicas e proteínas purificadas da peçonha de Crotalus durissus terrificus sobre os fatores de coagulação da hemostasia secundária do plasma humano. A atividade coagulante e/ou anticoagulante da peçonha bruta, frações proteicas e proteínas purificadas foram avaliadas diretamente sobre o plasma citratado humano e as alterações no Tempo de Protrombina (TP) e no Tempo de Tromboplastina Parcial Ativada (TTPA) foram aferidos com kits comerciais. Os coágulos formados na presença da peçonha bruta, da fração proteica #7 e da Giroxina apresentaram-se como uma massa hialina de textura flexível e pontual. A avaliação do tempo de formação dos coágulos na presença das frações proteicas #1 até #6 e das proteínas isoladas Crotoxina, Crotoxina A, Crotoxina B e Crotamina, após a aplicação dos testes comerciais (PT e APTT), possibilitou inferir que essas proteínas interferem em todas as vias da cascata de coagulação. Por conseguinte, as proteínas Crotoxina A, Crotoxina B, Crotoxina e Crotamina podem atuar de forma semelhante a alguns anticoagulantes inibidores direto de trombina, do fator Xa e do ativador da antitrombina III. Ainda, a Crotoxina B pode inibir a formação do complexo protrombinase por interação direta com o fator Xa. Consequentemente, o conteúdo proteico da peçonha de C. d. terrificus pode atuar de forma sinérgica na coagulação e na disfunção e/ou inibição dos anticoagulantes naturais desequilibrando a hemostasia.

No description available.

In the past couple of decades, the zebrafish has been widely used to study hemostatic disorders. In this study, we generated a CRISPR/Cas9 mediated zebrafish mutant that contains a 55-nucleotide insertion in exon 29 of the von Willebrand factor (vwf) gene. The mutants had impaired ristocetin-mediated agglutination of whole blood, prolonged PTT and more bleeding in the lateral incision compared to wild-type fish. The bleeding phenotype observed here is similar to the phenotype observed in vwf knockout mice and patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD). The mutant model developed here can thus be used for exploring the role of Vwf in angiogenesis and for developing gene therapy. The deficiency of VWF causes VWD and the etiology remains unknown in 30% of Type 1 VWD cases. Previous studies have identified that the ABO blood group and ST3GAL4 (glycosyltransferases) are involved in the regulation of VWF levels. Since VWF is heavily glycosylated, we hypothesized that other glycosyltransferases may also be involved in regulating VWF. We performed a knockdown screen of 234 glycosyltransferase genes and identified 14 genes that altered Vwf levels. The sequencing of these genes in Type 1 VWD patients could help identify novel mutations to decipher the molecular basis for the unknown etiologies in Type 1 VWD. Moreover, therapeutic interventions could be designed in the future by modulation of these gene products to control bleeding or thrombosis.Zebrafish has three f9 genes, f9a, f9b, and f9l and the ortholog to human F9 is unknown. RNA analysis showed an age-dependent increase in expression of all three genes from larval stages to adults, comparable to those observed in mice and humans while mass spectrometry and immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of all three proteins in the fish. Based on coagulation assays performed after individual gene knockdown and immunodepletion, we identified that zebrafish f9a has functional activity similar to human F9 and Fixl is functionally similar to Fx. Thus, the zebrafish could be used to identify factors controlling f9 gene expression with age and for modeling Hemophilia B in the quest to develop gene therapy protocols. In zebrafish, dilute plasma with exogenously added human fibrinogen was used for kinetic coagulation assays. Here, we developed a microkinetic assay using 25% zebrafish or 30% human plasma followed by the addition of coagulation activators and CaCl2. Our results showed both zebrafish and human plasmas yielded kinetic PT, kinetic PTT, and kinetic Russel's viper venom time curves similar to previously established human kinetic curves. Moreover, clotting times derived from these kinetic curves were identical to human PT, PTT, and Russel's viper venom time. Thus, the microkinetic assay developed here could measure blood coagulation activity in small animal models like zebrafish and human blood samples obtained from a finger prick in adults or heel prick in infants.