Internal relationship between symptomatic venous thromboembolism and risk factors: up-regulation of integrin beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3 levels

Background: To compare different expression of core proteins among venous thromboembolism (VTE) and those with risk factor groups and analyze the relative risk for VTE after integrating integrin beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3 expression. Methods: A total of 1006 subjects were recruited and divided into VTE group, risk factor groups and control (non-risk factor) group. Flow cytometry was performed to detect the expression of integrin beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3. The relative risk for VTE was evaluated with independent, parallel and serial methods. Results: The expression of integrin beta 1 increased markedly in VTE patients, and those with risk factors (acute infection, malignancy, and autoimmune diseases), respectively (P < 0.001 or 0.01). The expression of integrin beta 1 in trauma/surgery group was not significantly different with control group (P > 0.05). The expression of integrin beta 2 or beta 3 significantly increased in VTE group, but that in risk factor groups was not significantly increased (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed the trauma/surgery groups had no significantly increased risk for VTE. Conclusions: VTE group patients have significantly increased expression of integrin beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3, and risk factor groups (acute infection, malignancy and autoimmune disease) have significantly increased expression of integrin beta 1. The significant increase in integrin beta 2, beta 3 expression is a marker differentiating of VTE group patients with other risk factor groups. Trauma/surgery group has no increased expression of integrin beta 1, beta 2 and beta 3 as other risk factors. Thus, that trauma/surgery may be not the ``true'' risk factor for VTE.