Kim Tae Wan, Choi Sung Youn, Kang Im Ju, Kang Yoon Jung, Shin Dong Hyuk
Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea.
Korean J Gastroenterol. 2010 Mar;55(3):194-7. doi: 10.4166/kjg.2010.55.3.194.
Protein C is an important physiological anticoagulant factor. Protein C deficiency has been linked to venous thrombosis at unusual sites, including the cerebral and mesenteric veins. Hereditary protein C deficiency is inherited primarily as an autosomal dominant trait with incomplete penetrance. Protein C and S deficiencies are known to increase the risk of venous thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism. Testing for protein C levels and function is necessary for the detection of both type I and type II protein C deficiency. In this article, we report a case of pulmonary embolism and mesentery ischemia due to type 1 protein C deficiency.