Submitted by The Bleeding & Clotting Disorders Institute
The Bleeding & Clotting Disorders Institute (BCDI) is proud to announce a publication by Associate Medical Director, Dr. Jonathan Roberts, in Blood, the Official Journal of the American Society of Hematology1. The article describes the development of the von Willebrand Factor (VWF) Multiplex Activity Assay that assists in rapid diagnosis of variant von Willebrand Disease (VWD).
Dr. Roberts collaborated with Dr. Montgomery, international thought leader in the field of VWD and hemophilia research at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin. Their findings correlate with traditional VWF assessments, but can provide a much more rapid diagnosis.
“This assay may change the way in which we currently evaluate patients with bleeding symptoms. Since it is a [same day] screening test, and has potential to lower costs, it may allow more patients to be screened for variant VWD,” said Dr. Jonathan Roberts.
About the Study
The VWF Multiplex Activity Assay was tested on 160 patients with VWD who were enrolled in the Zimmerman Program for Molecular and Clinical Biology of von Willebrand Disease. The assay successfully identified type 1C, 2A, 2B, 2M, 2N VWD with a 92.5 percent accuracy in the patient study cohort. The VWF multiplex activity assay can be used to assign the diagnosis of variant VWD in an individual.
About von Willebrand Disease
The most common inherited bleeding disorder is von Willebrand Disease (VWD), affecting up to 1 percent of the population. This disorder occurs equally in males and females. People who have VWD take longer to stop bleeding than normal.
Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a protein in the blood that has two important functions in helping blood to clot. VWF is the “glue” that helps platelets stick to the blood vessel wall at the site of injury. VWF binds to circulating clotting factor VIII and protects it from being broken down in the blood. There are many subtypes of VWD:
- Type 1 – Reduced amount of von Willebrand factor (VWF) in blood
- Type 2A, 2B, 2M, and 2N – von Willebrand Factor (VWF) levels maybe normal, but the VWF does not work properly
- Type 3 – Very little or no von Willebrand Factor (VWF) in the blood
Some symptoms of Von Willebrand Disease may include: easy bruising, frequent or excessive nosebleeds, heavy menstrual bleeding, and heavy and prolonged bleeding after surgery, dental work, injury, or childbirth.
Dr. Roberts is the Associate Medical Director and Research Director at the Bleeding & Clotting Disorders Institute. He is board-certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. In addition, Dr. Roberts is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College at Medicine at Peoria.
Dr. Roberts graduated from the Southern Illinois School of Medicine in 2008 and went on to complete his internship and residency in Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria at OSF St. Francis Children’s Hospital in 2011. Dr. Roberts then completed a three-year fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Blood & Marrow Transplantation at the Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in 2014.
The article was published in Blood 2016 volume 127, issue 20 and can be read online at doi:10.1182/blood-2015-11-664680.