Detail

Keywords

Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; Blood Coagulation Disorders, Inherited; Blood Platelet Disorders; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Thrombocytopenia; von Willebrand Diseases

Research interests

My research focuses on clinical and translational research in the field of thrombosis and haemostasis.  

As PI of the Vienna Bleeding Biobank, we are working to elucidate the pathomechanisms of increased bleeding in patients with known inherited mild to moderate bleeding disorders, including those with von Willebrands disease and platelet dysfunction, but most importantly the majority of patients with bleeding disorders of unknown cause. The in-depth clinical characterisation of these patients is a major effort. In national and international collaborations, we are working on various aspects that may underlie increased bleeding, including the fibrinolytic system, natural anticoagulants, coagulation factors, platelet function and endothelial cells. 

Within the Vienna Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) Biobank, we focus on the identification of factors that influence the patient's disease course, thrombotic risk and bleeding phenotype. We are also providing a detailed characterisation of the clinical features of these rare patients in Eastern Austria. In subprojects we have worked on the immune phenotype and complement levels of primary ITP.

Furthermore, within the Lupus Anticoagulant and Thrombosis Study, we provide prospective data on clinical outcomes, including the development of thrombosis, in patients with persistent antiphosphplipid antibody positivity. 

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

• Large, prospective clinical data registries and biobanks for mild to moderate bleeding disorders, adult patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia, and patients with antiphospholipid antibody positivity
• Turbidimetric plasma clot formation and lysis assays, Plasmin generation assay, thrombin generation, ELISAs

Selected publications

1. Hofer, S. et al. (2019) ‘Thrombin‐generating potential, plasma clot formation, and clot lysis are impaired in patients with bleeding of unknown cause’, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 17(9), pp. 1478–1488. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jth.14529.
2. Mehic, D. et al. (2020) ‘Association of ABO blood group with bleeding severity in patients with bleeding of unknown cause’, Blood Advances, 4(20), pp. 5157–5164. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002452.
3. Schramm, T. et al. (2024) ‘Fibrinolysis is impaired in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia’, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtha.2024.07.034.
4. Mehic, D. et al. (2023) ‘Risk factors for future bleeding in patients with mild bleeding disorders: longitudinal data from the Vienna Bleeding Biobank’, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 21(7), pp. 1757–1768. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtha.2023.03.006.
5. Gebhart, J. et al. (2015) ‘Increased mortality in patients with the lupus anticoagulant: the Vienna Lupus Anticoagulant and Thrombosis Study (LATS)’, Blood, 125(22), pp. 3477–3483. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2014-11-611129.