Evaluation of procoagulant activity production and other coagulative functions in cancer patients receiving acid treated Salmonella minnesota R 595 (Re).

Blood clotting parameters were measured in six patients with gynecologic tumors following i.v. administration of acetic acid-treated Salmonella minnesota R595 (Re), which has been previously demonstrated to enhance impaired immune functions in the same patients. Although these bacteria possess a more exposed lipid A at their surface which has the potential to stimulate the coagulative cascade, no evidence of plasma hypercoagulative state was detected. In fact, procoagulant activity generated by patients' mononuclear cells after Salmonella treatment was not significantly higher than that produced by patients' cells before treatment. Moreover, other haemostatic laboratory parameters were unaffected by in vivo treatment with bacteria.