A 4-week-old infant presented with a coagulation disorder resulting from a vitamin K deficiency. The vitamin K deficiency was caused by neonatal cholestasis due to biliary atresia. Jaundice, hepatomegaly and pale stools are the predominant presenting symptoms of biliary atresia, none of which were recognized in our patient before admission. However, the patient presented with bleeding caused by...

BACKGROUND Accelerated progression of aortic stiffness in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease is not well explained by the traditional cardiovascular risk factors. We hypothesized that vitamin K deficiency may result in an accelerated progression of aortic stiffness in the pro-calcifying uremic milieu. METHOD Eighteen hemodialysis (HD) patients on warfarin were matched to 54 HD pati...

The difference between vitamin K metabolism in the liver and that in the bone of vitamin K-deficient rats was examined. After 17 d administration of vitamin K-deficient food, vitamin K in the liver was almost depleted, and prothrombin time (PT) was prolonged. Serum total osteocalcin level was slightly decreased by vitamin K deficiency, whereas serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin level did not c...

Acquired coagulopathy presenting as unexplained bleeding has been described in many critically ill hospitalized patients. The most common causes are DIC (Disseminated intravascular coagulation), renal or hepatic failure, Sepsis induced thrombocytopenia, HIT (Heparin induced thrombocytopenia), malignancy, acquired antibodies to clotting factors, drugs (anticoagulants, antibiotics), severe Vitami...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Vitamin K, vitamin K-dependent proteins, and vitamin D may be involved in the regulation of calcification in chronic kidney disease (CKD). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Vitamin K and D status was measured as dietary intake, plasma phylloquinone, serum percent uncarboxylated osteocalcin (%ucOC), proteins induced by vitamin K absence (PIVKA-II), Vitamin...

Although hip fracture is considered to be associated with hypovitaminosis D and K, few reports have previously studied both of them. We have studied the vitamin D- and K-status as well as the general nutritional status in ninety-nine patients with hip fracture. Mean serum concentration of 25hydroxy-vitamin D (25OH-D) in female fractured patients was only approximately 9 ng/mL, suggesting severe...

Montalembert et al report that PIVKA-II was detected in 33% of patients with cystic fibrosis, while vitamin K, plasma concentrations were normal.' It is astonishing that despite daily supplements of 5-10 mg vitamin K,, PIVKA-II was detectable in these patients. The authors conclude that PIVKAII is not associated with vitamin K deficiency, but with the use of antibiotics. There is some doubt as ...