A Distinct Circulating Biomarker Signature of Acute Thrombophlebitis: Associations Among Heparin, Midkine, Pleiotrophin, Dermcidin, and Ghrelin

Background

Acute superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) presenting with clinical features of thrombophlebitis is increasingly recognized as a thromboinflammatory disorder in which innate immunity and coagulation are closely interconnected. Nonetheless, the role of endogenous antimicrobial peptides and heparin-binding growth factors in its pathogenesis is still inadequately comprehended. We investigated circulating dermcidin (DCD), ghrelin (GHR), heparin (HP), midkine (MK), and pleiotrophin (PTN) to explore their potential involvement in the thromboinflammatory network underlying SVT.