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Hypercoagulability after immunotherapy with corynebacterium parvum in man

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Summary

The effect of an immunotherapy with Corynebacterium parvum on the blood coagulation system was investigated in a randomized trial of 18 patients with metastatic breast cancer. All patients received cytostatic therapy. Additionally, C. parvum was given intravenously on day 15 of the cytostatic cycle (group I) or on day 1 (group II) or not at all (group III). Fibrinopeptide A increased within 2 h after intravenous administration of C. parvum in groups I and II and normalized after 24 h (p<0.05). Platelet counts decreased continuously in all treatment groups (p<0.05). Prothrombin time, fibrinogen concentration, factor VIII:C and factor VIIIR:Ag were not affected. The fibrinolytic activity showed a slight but not statistically significant increase after intravenous administration of C. parvum. The data suggest that plasma hypercoagulability is induced or enhanced in man even after small intravenous doses of C. parvum.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung für Innere Medizin I und Abteilung für klinische Pharmakologie, Medizinische Universitätsklinik, Bergheimer Straße 58, D-6900, Heidelberg 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    J. Harenberg, A. Baumgärtner, D. Fritze & R. Zimmermann

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  1. J. Harenberg
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  2. A. Baumgärtner
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  3. D. Fritze
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  4. R. Zimmermann
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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. G. Schettler on his 65th birthday

Supported by grants from the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft”

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Harenberg, J., Baumgärtner, A., Fritze, D. et al. Hypercoagulability after immunotherapy with corynebacterium parvum in man. Blut 44, 241–247 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319910

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319910

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