yanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) is associated with an increased risk of stroke and thromboembolism. 1 A recent study using contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a high prevalence of pulmonary thrombosis in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome. 2 The precise mechanisms of the increased incidence of thromboembolism in patients with CCHD have not yet been determined, but endothelial dysfunction, hemostatic abnormalities and platelet activation may be underlying factors causing hypercoagulability and thromboembolism. [3][4][5] Platelets interact with endothelial cells, leukocytes and other platelets. 6 Intravascular thrombus formation is enhanced by thrombin, which activates the coagulation cascade, platelets and the formation of neutrophil/platelet conjugates. 6-8 P-selectin is an adhesion molecule found in the secretory granules of platelets and Weibel -Palade bodies of endothelial cells, and is mobilized to the plasma membrane on activation. 6,9,10 P-selectin expressed on platelets may be a direct inducer of pro-coagulant activity associated with vascular and thrombotic diseases. 11 Although P-selectin is likely to play an important role in the thrombus formation, 6,11 there have been only a few studies evaluating Pselectin in CCHD. 4,12,13 Thrombomodulin is expressed mainly on the surface of vascular endothelial cells and prevents blood clotting on the internal surface of vessels. Endothelial thrombomodulin is a key component of the protein C anticoagulant pathway that facilitates the activation of protein C by thrombin. 14 Therefore, thrombomodulin acts as an intrinsic anticoagulant barrier between the blood and the endothelium. The plasma thrombomodulin level was elevated in disseminated intravascular coagulation and atheromatous arterial disease. 15,16 It may initially increase with acute vascular injury but decrease with subsequent downregulation of its production during chronic vessel injury. Several reports have shown that reduced thrombomodulin enhances thrombus formation. 17,18,19 We hypothesized that the decreased expression of protein C and the increased expression of Pselectin on platelets due to a reduced thrombomodulin level may contribute to the formation of thrombi in patients with CCHD. To test this hypothesis, we measured plasma levels of thrombomodulin and protein C, and the expression of Pselectin on platelets in patients with CCHD. The plasma thrombin -antithrombin complex III (TAT) level was also measured to evaluate coaguability.
Methods
PatientsWe enrolled 35 patients with CCHD. The inclusion criterion was the presence of cyanosis due to right-to-left shunt in patients with congenital heart disease. The demography of the patients is summarized in Table 1. There were 19 men and 16 women, with a mean age of 13±11 years, ranging from 1 to 37 years. Twenty-five patients had undergone palliative operations (Balock-Taussig shunt or bidirectional Glenn). Eight patients underwent definitive operations (Fontan operation in 7 and Rastelli operation in 1), but the Circ J 2007; 71: 948...