Glycoprotein VI Receptor in Atrial Fibrillation and Thromboembolism
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Glycoprotein VI Receptor in Atrial FIbrillation and ThromboEmbolism (GRAFITE)
IRAS ID
208151
Contact name
Isuru Induruwa
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS FT and The University of Cambridge
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
32207, ISRCTN
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Platelets are the cells crucial for arresting bleeding at sites of tissue injury. As well as this, they play a key role in the formation of blood clots (thrombosis) within blood vessels which can lead to heart attacks, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
The GRAFITE (Glycoprotein six Receptor in Atrial FIbrillaiton and ThromboEmbolism) study will specifically look at any genetic variances that cause blood clot formation, as well as further characterising the platelet receptor (glycoprotein VI dimer's) role in thrombosis. The research will be carried out in patients admitted to hospital with conditions called atrial fibrillation or with venous thromboemblism, such as deep vein thrombosis. These are two specific conditions that cause unwanted blood clots to form.
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac rhythm disturbance encountered in clinical practice and the risk of developing AF increases with age. Not only does having risk factors that lead to heart attack and stroke increase your risk of developing AF, having AF increases your risk of having a stroke by 2 to 7 times. This is caused by the 'fibrillating' movement of the heart chambers causing a build up of a blood clot in the heart which can then migrate to the brain causing a stroke.
Similar blood clots can also develop in blood vessels such as veins, where there are called venous thromboembolic disease which includes deep vein thromboses. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) can be common in patients admitted to hospital due to their concurrent illness and relative immobilisation in hospital due to illness. It is believed that the clot formation in atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism are similar, but the involvement of platelets, especially receptor glycoprotein VI, is not fully understood yet.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EE/0436
Date of REC Opinion
29 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion