The influence of factor VIII on measurement of activated protein C resistance

Activated protein C resistance (APCR) has proved to be a frequent finding in association with thrombosis. The majority of patients with APCR have been found to be homozygous or heterozygous for the polymorphic variant factor V Q(506) (factor V Leiden; FVQ(506)). However a small number of patients have APCR as assessed by functional tests but do not possess the FVQ(506) polymorphism. Some of these cases are due to the presence of a lupus type anticoagulant but in this report we demonstrate that the remainder are almost entirely (nine out of ten) associated with an elevated level of FVIIIc. Spiking experiments in normal patient plasma and venous occlusion tests demonstrated that elevation of the FVIIIc results in a reduced APCR ratio and shortening of the APTT. Variation in FVIIIc, in conjunction with other factors, may therefore explain the variable phenotype associated with FVQ(506) and the phenomenon of thrombosis associated APCR in the absence of FVQ(506). We conclude that FVIIIc as well as FVQ(506) should be taken into account when assessing thrombotic risk. APCR, elevated FVIIIc and shortened APTT have all been previously identified with an increased risk of thrombosis. It follows that resistance to APC may arise from a number of factors and is in itself a risk factor for thrombosis. The net effect of these factors is assessed in the functional test for APCR and it may be premature therefore to replace functional tests for APCR with DNA analysis alone.