Coagulation state in patients with Crohn's disease: the effect of infliximab therapy

Background Growing evidence has shown that coagulation processes play an important role in disease pathogenesis and/or disease progression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. However, no study has ever focused on the possible influence of infliximab (IFX) therapy on the coagulation status in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Objective To investigate the difference in the coagulation biomarkers between the CD patients and the control participants, and evaluate the impact of IFX usage on the coagulation status of CD patients. Patients and methods A retrospective study that included a case-control study and a self-control study was designed. The medical records of CD patients and control participants were evaluated according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results of laboratory tests including blood routine, coagulation, D-dimer, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were retrieved to assess the coagulation state. Results In the case-control study, almost all the parameters showed a statistically significant difference between the CD patients and the control participants, except for activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time (the P value ranged from 0.000 to 0.002). Most of the values of the parameters reverted to normal over time during IFX therapy in the self-control study. Moreover, the fibrinogen concentration decreased obviously after IFX infusion (P=0.000) and the D-dimer concentration also decreased obviously by about half of the start value after IFX usage (P=0.018). Conclusion IFX therapy could ameliorate the hypercoagulable state in patients with CD. (C) 2014 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.