Coagulation–fibrinolysis abnormalities in patients receiving antiparkinsonian agents
Authors: Kei Satoh
Hidemi Yoshida
Norifumi Metoki
Yoshihiro Sato
Masahide Kaji
Journal: Journal of the Neurological Sciences (2003)
Discipline: NEUROSCIENCE & BEHAVIOR
Keywords: Neuroleptic malignant syndrome; Parkinson's disease; blood coagulation disorder; medication alteration; prothrombin time

Abstract:  Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is induced by alteration of medication in Parkinson's disease (PD); and blood coagulation disorder is regarded as one of the mechanisms implicated in NMS. We have studied markers of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in 270 patients with PD and 159 healthy controls matched in age and gender. The average values of prothrombin time (international normalized ratio) and plasma levels of prothrombin fragment(1+2), D-dimer, plasmin-alpha 2 antiplasmin complex, thrombomodulin and E-selectin were higher in patients receiving antiparkinsonian agents as compared to the patients without any medication or healthy controls. The effect of antiparkinsonian drugs was analyzed by dividing the patients into three groups according to the medication: the patients under the combination therapy with levodopa and a dopamine agonist, the patients administered levodopa, and those that received a dopamine agonist. Of the three groups, the patients under the combination therapy had the highest values of these markers, and those treated with only levodopa had the lowest values. PD patients receiving antiparkinsonian drugs are often associated with blood coagulation abnormalities, and plasma hemostatic markers should be routinely assessed in the management of such patients. Further study is needed to determine whether these abnormalities predispose to the development of NMS. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 This paper should be retracted. There is a context of multiple ( 90) retractions of work by this group of researchers for a wide range of reasons that include fabrication, authorship misconduct, duplicate data reporting, plagiarism, unethical research practices, unresolved concerns about data integrity and scientific misconduct (http: retractionwatch.com the-retraction-watch-leaderboard ). The journal and its publisher were notified about the concerns with this paper in May 2018 Concerns Ethical oversight The study was reported to be undertaken at Kurume University Medical Centre, and the manuscript was submitted in September 2002. The study protocol was reported to be approved by the Human Investigation Committee of the Kurume University. However, retractions of papers by Dr Sato and colleagues by Stroke and Bone indicate that Kurume University did not have an ethics committee at the time the work reported in this paper was supposedly conducted. Kurume University only established its ethics committee in November 2002. Thus, the work reported in this paper is unethical. Authorship Drs Metoki and Satoh were u2018honorary authorsu2019 on papers published by Dr Sato that have now been retracted Impossible data In tables 1 and 2, data are reported for 11 continuous variables in the Antiparkinsonian agent group. In table 3, data are reported for the same variables in 3 subgroups constructed according to type of Antiparkinsonism agent. The numbers of participants in each subgroup are reported in Table 3, and their sum (39+39+82) = the number of participants in the Anitparkinsonism agent group (160). For each variable, the mean value in the whole Antiparkinsonian agent group should = the sum of the mean value in each subgroup x n of each subgroup, divided by the total n. For 7 of the 11 variables (age, illness duration, therapy duration, F1 +2, thrombomodulin, soluble E-selectin, creatine kinase) the reported values in the Antiparkinsonism agent group are different from the values calculated from the subgroups data presented in table 3. These results are mathematically impossible (impossible data shown in bold text) ![file] Data are means , 
 On 14 June 2020 the publisher informed us that this paper was to be retracted. 9 months later, it has not been. It has 12 citations on Scopus. Lengthy delays in publication of retraction notices are not in the best interests of readers. , 
 It is now 21 months since Elsevier communicated, via COPE, its undertaking to retract this paper. Recent requests for an update on the retraction to Elsevier, COPE, and the journal did not receive a response. The society associated with the journal, the World Federation of Neurology, responded but was unable to provide any information. , 
 See also https: retractionwatch.com 2022 06 23 an-elsevier-journal-said-it-would-retract-10-papers-two-years-ago-it-still-hasnt ,