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Olivieri O. Activated factor VII-antithrombin complex predicts mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease: a cohort study.J Thromb Haemost 2016; 14: 655-66. Essentials• Activated factor VII-antithrombin complex (FVIIa-AT) in plasma may reflect tissue factor exposure.• FVIIa-AT levels were assessed in an angiographically controlled coronary artery disease (CAD) cohort.• High FVIIa-AT levels correlated with an increased thrombin generation.• High FVIIa-AT levels were associated with a greater risk of mortality in patients with stable CAD.Summary. Background: Plasma concentration of activated factor VII (FVIIa)-antithrombin (AT) complex has been proposed as an indicator of intravascular exposure of tissue factor. Objectives: The aims of this observational study were to evaluate (i) FVIIa-AT plasma concentration in subjects with or without coronary artery disease (CAD) and (ii) its association with mortality in a prospective cohort of patients with CAD. Methods: FVIIa-AT levels were measured by ELISA in 686 subjects with (n = 546) or without (n = 140) angiographically proven CAD. Subjects with acute coronary syndromes and those taking anticoagulant drugs at the time of enrollment were excluded. CAD patients were followed for total and cardiovascular mortality. Results: There was no difference in FVIIa-AT levels between CAD (84.8 with 95% confidence interval [CI] 80.6-88.2 pmol L -1 ) and CAD-free subjects (83.9 with 95% CI 76.7-92.8 pmol L -1 ). Within the CAD population, during a 64-month median followup, patients with FVIIa-AT levels higher than the median value at baseline (≥ 79 pmol L -1 ) had a two-fold greater risk of both total and cardiovascular mortality. Results were confirmed after adjustment for sex, age, the other predictors of mortality (hazard ratio for total mortality: 2.05 with 95% CI 1.22-3.45, hazard ratio for cardiovascular mortality 1.94 with 95% CI 1.01-3.73, with a slight improvement of C-statistic over traditional risk factors), FVIIa levels, drug therapy at discharge, and even patients using all the usual medications for CAD treatment. High FVIIa-AT levels also correlated with increased thrombin generation. Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that plasma concentration of FVIIa-AT is a thrombophilic marker of total and cardiovascular mortality risk in patients with clinically stable CAD.

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A virus was isolated from joyweed (Alternanthera tenella Colla-Amaranthaceae), a common weed in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Examination by electron microscopy showed long flexuous particles with an average length of 756 nm in crude sap. Serological results showed positive reaction with antisera to PVY-O. A fragment of 1772 nucleotides was sequenced. The CP sequence shares 76% of identity with the CP of Potato virus Y strain NTN. These results confirm that the virus is a new potyvirus infecting A. tenella, and the name Alternanthera mild mosaic virus (AltMMV) is proposed.