Acquired factor X deficiency in patients with amyloid light-chain amyloidosis: incidence, bleeding manifestations, and response to high-dose chemotherapy

Blood. 2001 Mar 15;97(6):1885-7. doi: 10.1182/blood.v97.6.1885.

Abstract

Acquired deficiency of factor X occurs in patients with systemic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, presumably due to adsorption of factor X to amyloid fibrils. Of 368 consecutive patients with systemic AL amyloidosis evaluated at Boston Medical Center, 32 patients (8.7%) had factor X levels below 50% of normal. Eighteen of these patients (56%) had bleeding complications, which were more frequent and severe in the 12 patients below 25% of normal; 2 episodes were fatal. Ten factor X-deficient patients received high-dose melphalan chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. Of 7 patients alive 1 year after treatment, 4 had a complete hematologic response, and all 4 experienced improvement in their factor X levels. One of 2 additional patients with partial hematologic responses had improvement in factor X. Thus, aggressive treatment of the underlying plasma cell dyscrasia in AL amyloidosis can lead to the amelioration of amyloid-related factor X deficiency.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid
  • Amyloidosis / complications*
  • Amyloidosis / epidemiology
  • Amyloidosis / therapy
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Blood Coagulation Tests
  • Factor X Deficiency / epidemiology
  • Factor X Deficiency / etiology*
  • Factor X Deficiency / therapy
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Hemorrhage / etiology
  • Incidence
  • Melphalan / administration & dosage
  • Transplantation, Autologous
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • amyloid protein AR, human
  • Melphalan