Discrepant increase in factor VIII: C and von Willebrand factor after DDAVP infusion in a patient with variant von Willebrand's disease

Abstract

We have studied a patient with von Willebrand's disease (vWd) whose von Willebrand factor (vWf) multimer patterns showed significant decreases of all but the major fast moving vWf multimer (promoter). Bleeding time (BT) was very prolonged, there was almost no ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation (RIPA) and vWf levels were very low. The factor VIII: C/vWf: Ag ratio appeared to be higher than normal because of the relatively increased concentration of factor VIII: C. The infusion of DDAVP normalized BT, improved RIPA and restored normal factor VIII: C levels, these effects lasted for 5 h even though only a slight increase of vWf: Ag and vWf: RCoF was observed. RIPA was completely inhibited by an anti-glycoprotein (GP) Ib monoclonal antibody that recognizes the ristocetin-induced vWf binding site. Plasma vWf multimer analysis revealed only slight increases of all components and an additional, more pronounced representation of vWf protomer. These data suggest that the patient has an abnormal vWf molecule characterized by a greater ability to carry factor VIII than would be expected from the vWf levels. Furthermore, since the vWf protomer was the only significant vWf component present both before and after DDAVP infusion we hypothesize that some of the haemostatic functions of the patient's vWf may depend on it.