Inherited Antithrombin Deficiency in Patients with Recurrent Thrombotic Events

Objective: To investigate the frequency of hereditary antithrombin deficiency in patients presenting with recurrent thrombotic events, venous and/or arterial. Material and Methods: This is a descriptive case series study, where a total of 145 cases with a history of recurrent thrombotic attacks, both venous and/or arterial, referred by physicians and gynaecologists of Military Hospitals (MH and CMH) to Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) Rawalpindi and from the tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, were included in the study, through non-probability convenient sampling. Peripheral blood samples were collected in trisodium citrate in test tube and centrifuged to obtain plasma, which was, then run in coagulation analyzer to perform functional assay (both clotting and chromogenic) and the level and activity of the Antithrombin measured and entered in the data sheet. Results: Among 145 cases, inherited deficiency (low levels) of antithrombin was detected in nine cases with frequency of 6.2% and p value of less than 0.001. The frequency detected shows significant association between inherited deficiency of antithrombin and recurrence of thrombosis. Conclusion: There is a definite association of hereditary antithrombin deficiency with the recurrence of thrombotic attacks.