Question: What is (are) Protein C deficiency ?
Answer: Protein C deficiency is a disorder that increases a person's risk to develop abnormal blood clots. The condition can be mild or severe. People with mild protein C deficiency are at risk for a type of clot called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A DVT can travel through the bloodstream and become stuck in the lung, which can cause a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. Most people with mild protein C deficiency never develop abnormal blood clots, but certain factors can increase the risk to develop a blood clot. In severe protein C deficiency, affected infants develop a life-threatening blood clotting disorder called purpura fulminans soon after birth. This is characterized by blood clots that block normal blood flow and can lead to death of body tissues (necrosis). Abnormal bleeding can occur in various parts of the body causing purple patches on the skin. Protein C deficiency may be inherited or acquired. The inherited form is caused by mutations in the PROC gene and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Most people with protein C deficiency do not have any symptoms and require no specific treatment. However, in situations of clot risk such as pregnancy, surgery or trauma, prevention treatment may be indicated. Patients with the severe form of the disease are treated depending on the symptoms. A protein C concentrate is effective in many cases. Liver transplant may cure the babies with this disease.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Protein C deficiency ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Protein C deficiency? The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Protein C deficiency. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Subcutaneous hemorrhage 50% Thin skin 50% Thrombophlebitis 50% Abnormality of skin pigmentation 7.5% Abnormality of the cerebral vasculature 7.5% Gangrene 7.5% Pulmonary embolism 7.5% Skin ulcer 7.5% Venous insufficiency 7.5% Abnormality of the eye - Abnormality of the nervous system - Autosomal dominant inheritance - Cerebral venous thrombosis - Deep venous thrombosis - Hypercoagulability - Reduced protein C activity - Superficial thrombophlebitis - Warfarin-induced skin necrosis - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: How to diagnose Protein C deficiency ?
Answer: How is protein C deficiency diagnosed? A diagnosis of protein C deficiency might be suspected in someone with a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism, especially if it occurs in a relatively young person (less than 50 years old) or has formed in an unusual location, such as the veins leading to the liver or kidney or the blood vessels of the brain. Laboratory tests are usually be done to look at the function or quantity of protein C in the blood. Functional tests are usually ordered, along with other tests for abnormal blood clotting, to screen for normal activity of protein C. Based on those results, concentrations of protein C may be measured to look for decreased production due to an acquired or inherited condition and to classify the type of deficiency. If the shortage of protein C is due to an inherited genetic change, the quantity of protein C available and the degree of activity can be used to help determine whether a person is heterozygous or homozygous for the mutation. Genetic testing is not necessary to make a diagnosis.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Protein C deficiency ?
Answer: How might protein C deficiency be treated? Most people with mild protein C deficiency never develop abnormal blood clots and thus do not require treatment. However, people who have experienced a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism are usually treated with blood-thinning drugs such as heparin or warfarin, which help to prevent another blood clot from developing in the future. Preventative treatment with these blood-thinning drugs may also be considered in those with a family history of blood clotting, as well as in higher risk situations such as pregnancy. A protein C concentrate (Ceprotin) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2007 for the treatment of protein C deficiency. High doses of intravenous protein C concentrates can help thin the blood and protect from blood clots. It can also be used a preventative treatment against blood clots during surgery, pregnancy delivery, prolonged immobility, or overwhelming infection in the blood stream (sepsis). Currently, no guidelines exist as to which patients should receive protein C concentrate. It is typically given only at times of increased risk for clotting, or when the blood thinner heparin by itself cannot be safely given because it would lead to an increased risk for bleeding. However, in those with severe protein C who have had severe bleeding complications on long-term blood thinning therapy, protein C concentrate has been used on a regular basis.
Source: GARD