PLASMA LEVELS OF THE COAGULATION FACTOR XIII IN PATIENTS WITH BONE TUMORS

It is well known that the coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) is deeply involved in wound healing and tissue regeneration. We measured the plasma levels of FXIII (FXIII levels) before and after surgery in 80 patients with bone tumors [benign tumors in 30 patients (BT group), malignant tumors in 30 patients (MT group), and carcinoma metastasis in 20 patients (CM group)] and in the control group which consisted of 30 patients with osteoarthritis of the hip joint who had underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA). The numbers of patients whose preoperative FXIII level was below the lower limit of normal were as follows: 0 (0%) among 30 patients in the control group; 7 (23%) among 30 patients in the BT group; 12 (40%) among 30 patients in the MT group; and 9 (45%) among 20 patients in the CM group. Among patients with bone tumors examined in this study, patients with osteosarcoma who underwent chemotherapy showed a significant decrease in FXIII levels (p < 0.01). We indicated not only FXIII levels in patients with bone tumors, but also the natural time-course of FXIII levels in patients who underwent orthpaedic surgery of THA at the first time.