Does heparanase neutralize the anticoagulation properties of heparin and low-molecular-weight heparin?
Heparanase is capable of degrading heparin and LMWH, so that its overexpression by tumor cells may contribute to heparin resistance, commonly occurring in cancer patients. In view of the complexity of the currently available heparanase activity assays, we propose an indirect approach to quantify heparanase activity by measuring the decrease in plasma APTT or anti-Xa activity exerted by the enzyme under the defined conditions.
The availability of these translated outcome measures should enable investigators to include monolingual Spanish-speakers into their studies, and should facilitate study of cross-cultural differences with respect to these specific outcomes.