Kalambokis GN, Baltayiannis G, Christodoulou D. von Willebrand factor antigen as a therapeutic target of portal hypertension in cirrhosis. World J Gastroenterol 2016; 22(19): 4786-4788 [PMID: 27217711 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i19.4786]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Georgios N Kalambokis, MD, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, 1st Division of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece. gkalambo@cc.uoi.gr
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Letters To The Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastroenterol. May 21, 2016; 22(19): 4786-4788 Published online May 21, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i19.4786
von Willebrand factor antigen as a therapeutic target of portal hypertension in cirrhosis
Georgios N Kalambokis, Gerasimos Baltayiannis, Dimitrios Christodoulou
Georgios N Kalambokis, 1st Division of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Gerasimos Baltayiannis, Dimitrios Christodoulou, Division of Gastroenterology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Author contributions: Kalambokis GN and Baltayiannis G wrote this letter; Christodoulou D revised the letter.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Georgios N Kalambokis, MD, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, 1st Division of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece. gkalambo@cc.uoi.gr
Telephone: +30-2651-099735 Fax: +30-2651-007883
Received: January 15, 2016 Peer-review started: January 18, 2016 First decision: January 28, 2016 Revised: February 15, 2016 Accepted: March 1, 2016 Article in press: March 1, 2016 Published online: May 21, 2016 Processing time: 123 Days and 7.3 Hours
Abstract
Increased thrombotic potential within the liver sinusoids due to local endothelial production of von Willebrand factor antigen macromolecules could represent an additional therapeutic target of portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis. In this case, anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic drugs could modulate portal pressure by preventing the formation of intrahepatic platelet-induced microthrombi.
Core tip: The purpose of this letter to the Editor is to comment on the potential contribution of increased intrahepatic levels of von Willebrand factor as an additional mechanism that could be related to increased portal pressure in patients with cirrhosis and propose drugs which could decrease portal pressure on the basis of von Willebrand factor’s production or effects.
