Factor-XIII activity in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis and active bleeding: a prospective observational study

Objective Coagulation factor XIII plays a key role in fibrin clot stabilization and epithelial healing. Under chronic inflammatory conditions involving bleeding and an activation of the coagulation cascade, the FXIIIa inversely correlate with disease activity. We assumed that FXIIIa could be a predictor of severity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Here, we evaluated the course of plasma activity of FXIIIa in 49 patients with mild to moderate UC and active rectal bleeding. Patients with a partial Mayo bleeding subscore > 2 were eligible to participate in our prospective observational study in an outpatient setting. FXIIIa was investigated during acute flare conditions, after bleeding had stopped and later on in quiescent UC.