Von Willebrand Factor Antigen, Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator Antigen, and Risk of Death in Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1-related Clinical Disease: Independent Prognostic Relevance of Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator

Tissue-type plasminogen activator, von Willebrand factor, and plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 1 plasma levels were measured at first consultation in 85 consecutive patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Patients were assigned to three groups according to clinical status: mild disease group, intermediate group, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome group. Significant differences were found in von Willebrand factor, tissue-type plasminogen activator, and plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 1 plasma levels among the three groups: severe clinical status was associated with higher von Willebrand factor, tissue-type plasminogen activator, and plasminogen-activator inhibitor type 1 plasma levels. Significant correlations were found among these three parameters, such known biologic prognostic indicators of human immunodeficiency virus infection as IgA, anti-p24 antibodies, p24 antigenemia, CD4+ lymphocytes, beta 2-microglobulin, and the clinical status. The prognostic relevance of plasma von Willebrand factor and tissue-type plasminogen activator levels at the time of entry into the study was then investigated in a cohort of 65 of the 85 patients who had follow-up during a median period of 22 months. The median survival time for all patients was 39 months after the first consultation. A plasma von Willebrand factor level greater than 200% of the control value had a positive predictive value of 86% for determining nonsurvivors; the median survival time for such patients was 9 months after the first consultation. A positive predictive value of 100% in recognizing nonsurvivors was found for tissue-type plasminogen factor plasma levels greater than 20 ng/ml; the median survival time for these patients was 2 months after the first consultation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)