The risk of thrombotic complications in cardiovascular disease may be better identified by the von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimer pattern, or the collagen binding activity (VWF:CBA), a functional assay for VWF, than by measuring the VWF antigen (VWF:Ag) level. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the VWF:Ag levels and the VWF:CBA in different stages of peripheral artery disease. 103 patients with peripheral artery disease and 47 healthy controls were examined. We observed significantly higher VWF:Ag level and VWF:CBA in stages II and III-IV Fontaine of peripheral artery disease, compared with the control group. Between stages III-IV and stages II Fontaine we found a more pronounced difference for the VWF:CBA, than for the VWF:Ag level, suggesting a higher prothrombotic activity in some patients with critical leg ischemia.
Keywords: von Willebrand factor, VWF collagen binding activity, peripheral artery disease