Helge Stormorken

Helge Stormorken (born 8 October 1922 in Kvam, Gudbrandsdal, Norway) is a Norwegian veterinarian.

Research and organisational activity

He established the cause of a world wide fatal bleeding disease in piglets leading to its eradication. He described the multifaceted Stormorken syndrome, a mutations in f. VII, f. IX, Fibrinogen Oslo IV and V, all with clinical consequences. Nearly thirty theses on different aspects emanated from the institute together with a host of single papers from its own staff and the many US and European visitors. The most prominent of these was Holm Holmsen who made basic discoveries establishing platelets as secretory non-nucleated cells. Stormorken was active in international organisations within the field, as chairman of the International Society Thrombos Haemost 1978-82, as cofounder and member of the governing board in European Thrombosis Research Organisation (ETRO) 1972-78, as an honorary member in 1997. That Oslo, and the institute, was chosen as the site for the first international congress in this field (1971) was a great honour for a country of only four million people.

Stormorken was also the chairman of many committees, local as well as international, a teacher of medical students and other health personnel. He headed the Norwegian Red Cross team and was wounded in the French-Algerian war of 1962. His publications, mainly international, total 260. Now retired, he writes historical essays from his birthplace.

Career summary

He graduated with the Cand.med.vet. and obtained his degree at the Veterinary College of Norway in 1948. He opened a veterinary practice in Otta the next year.[1] He studied in the Medical Faculty, University of Oslo from 1954, and gained a PhD in 1957, with the thesis Comparative Studies on Clotting Mechanisms in Horse, Cow, Dog and Man. He later won the Doctor of Medicine degree in 1958. He was appointed as a professor of animal physiology at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science in 1959, and moved to the University of Oslo in 1963, as professor and head of the Oslo University Institute for Thrombosis Research at Rikshospitalet. Then, from 1980 to 1990, he was an assistant professor at Rikshospitalet, and from 1990 to 1995 he worked for the private company Nycomed[2], mainly within contrast media development. By the time of his 85th birthday he had 275 academic publications.[2]

He was decorated with the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav[1], one of the founders and honorary member of the European Thrombosis Research Organization, Co-chairman and Chairman of the International Society for Thrombosis Haemost., 1978–82, and was a member of several national and international committees. He was visiting professor at Nobel Prize winner C. Heymans Institute in Ghent, Belgium and at The Temple University, Philadelphia. In 1962 he headed the Norwegian Red Cross team to Algeria during the liberation war from France and was wounded in the lower back but recovered. He lives in Sandvika, a suburb of Oslo, but originates from the Gudbrandsdal Valley.

Literature

Selection of publications from the institute for thrombosis research, Rikshospitalet, Norway.

• Owren PA. x Parahaemophilia – a previously unknown clotting factor. Lancet 1947;1:446-48
• Owren PA. xProconvertin, the new clotting factor. Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. 1951;6:168
• Rapaport SI, Aas K, and Owren PA. Increased of coagulability of plasma exposed to glass. Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. 1954;6:82-83
• Peeters G, Stormorken H & F. Vanshoubroek. The effect of different stimuli on milk ejection and diuresis in the lactating cow. J. Endocrinology 1960;220:163-72
• Harboe M. and Lundevall J. xA new type in the Gm system. Acta path. microbiol. scand. 1959; 45:357-70
• Harboe M. xA new hemagglutinating substance in the GM-system, anti GM. Nature 1959;183:1468-9
• Harboe M. xA new hemagglutinating substance in the GM system, Anti Gmb. Acta path. microbiol scand. 1959;47:l91-98
• Owren PA: Thrombotest. A new method for controlling anticoagulant therapy. Lancet 1959;II:754-8
• Harboe M and Lundewall J. xA new type in the GM system. Acta path. microbiol. scand. 1959;45:357-70
• Borchegrevink CF, et al. xStudy of congenital hypoprothrombinemia. Br. J. Haematol 1959;5:294-301
• Harboe M. xA new hemagglutinating substance in the GM system, anti-Gm. Nature 1959;183:14:68-
• Hellem A.J. The adhesiveness of human blood platelets in vitro. Thesis. Oslo Univ. Press, 1960
• Husom O. A one-stage method for the assay of platelet factor 3. Scand. J. clin.Lab. Invest. 1961;13:609-18
• Peeters G, Stormorken H, Vanschoubroek F. Effect of different stimuli on milk ejection and diuresis in the lactating cow. J. Endocrinol. 1960;20:163-72
• Gaarder A, Jonsen J, Laland S, Hellem AJ, and Owren PA. Adenosine diphosphate in red cells as a factor in the adhesiveness of human blood platelets. Nature 1961;531-32
• Sjaastad, Ø & Sjaastad, O. Urinary excretion of histamine in patients with dystrophia myotonica. Acta med. Scand. 1962;172:535-38
• Hovig T, with technical assistance of Holm Holmsen . Release of a platelet aggregating substance (ADP) from rabbit blood platelets by saline “extracts of tendons. Thromb. Diathes. Haemorrh. 1963;9:264-78
• Stormorken, H, Svenkerud R, Slagsvold P, Lie H, Lundevall J.. xThrombocytopenic bleedings in young pigs due to maternal isoimmunisation. Nature 1963;198:1116-18
• Flatmark T. A histochemical technique for demonstration of cytochrome C. Nature 1963;200:1112-13
• Stalsberg, H and Prydz H. Studies on chick embryo thrombocytes. Morphology and development. Thromb. Diathes. haemorrh. 1963;9:279-90
• Owren, PA., Hellem, AJ. and Ødegaard, AE. Linolenic acid for the prevention of thrombosis and myocardial infarction. Lancet 1964;II 975-79
• Flatmark T. Studies on the hemolytic mechanism in March hemoglobinuria. Acta med. scand. 1963;173:307-13
• Sjaastad ØV. and Stormorken H. Diet and histamine in the ruminant. Nature 1963;197:907-8
• Gaarder, A and Laland, S. Hypothesis for the aggregation of platelets by nucleotides. Nature 1964;202:909-10
• Egeberg O. xInherited antithrombin deficiency causing thrombophilia. Thromb. Diathes. haemorrh. 1965;13:516-30
• Efremov G, Stormorken H. A modified system for fingerprinting haemoglobin. Nature 1965;208:289-99
• Berg K. and Egeberg O. xIndividual antigenic differences of human serum lipoprotein. Nature 1965;206:312-23
• Borchegrevink C.F., Skaga, E, Berg K.J., Skjæggestad, Ø, Stormorken H. Effect of linseed oil on platelet adhesiveness and bleeding time. Lancet 1965;II:980- 82
• Holmsen H, Holmsen I & Bernhardsen A. Microdetermination og ADP and ATP in plasma with the firefly-luciferase system. Analyt Biochem 1966;17:466-73
• Egeberg O. xInherited fibrinogen abnormality causing thrombophilia. Thrombos. Diathes. haemorrh. 1967;17:176-87
• Chandler, AB &Jacobsen CD. In vitro thrombosis in thrombotic and hemorrhagic diseases. Scand. J. clin. Lab. Invest., 1967;20:129-39
• Prokowicz J & Stormorken H.. Fibrinolytic activity of leucocytes. Scand. J. Haemat. 1968;5:129-37
• Nordøy A, Hamlin JT, Chandler AB and Newland, H. The influence of dietary fats on plasma and platelet lipids and ADP induced platelet thrombosis in rats. Scand. J. Haemat. 1968;5:458-73
• Egeberg O. xNew families with hereditary F. XIII, fibrin stabilizing factor deficiency. Thromb. Diathes. haemorrh. 1968;20:534-41
• Day HJ and Holmsen H. Subcellular localization of platelet adenine nucleotides. Clin Res.1968; 16:534-40
• Rozenberg MC. and Holmsen H. Adenine metabolism of platelets. Biochem biophys. Acta 1968;155:342-51
• Solum N.O. Aggregation of human platelets by bovine platelet fibrinogen. Scand J. Haemat. 1968; 5:474-85
• Jacobsen CD. xProtelytic capacity in human plasma. Genetics and clinical study. Scand. J. clin. Lab. Invest. 1968;21:216-26
• Holmsen H and Day HJ. Thrombin-induced platelet release reaction and platelet lysosomes. Nature 1968;219:760-61
• Holmsen, H, Day HJ and Stormorken H. The blood platelet release reaction. Scand. J Haemat. 1969;6:(suppl. 8):26 pp
• Stormorken H. xThe release reaction of secretion. Scand, J. Haemat. 1969;6 (suppl.9):24 pp
• Grøttum KA. and Solum NO. xCongenital thrombocytopenia with giant platelets. A defect in the membrane. Brit J. Haemat. 1969;16:277-90
• Murer, EH. Thrombin-induced release of calcium from platelets. Science 1969;166:623
• Holmsen, H., Day HJ., Storm E. Adenine nucleotide metabolism of blood platelets. Biochem. biophys. Acta 1969;186:254-66
• Gjønnæss H. and Stormorken H. Blood clotting, plasma kinins and fibrinolysis. Thrombos. Diathes. Haemorrh. 1970;24:308-10
• Holmsen H and Weiss H.J: xHereditary defect in the platelet release reaction caused by deficiency in the storage pool of platelet adenine nucleotides. Brit. J. Haemat. 1970;19:643-49
• Solum N.O. Coagulation in Limulus. Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1970;27:207-16
• Kvarstein B and Halvorsen, K. Seeger. Oxygen consumption during the initial stage of human leucocyte phagocytosis as a test for chronic granulomatous disease. Scand. J. clin. Lab. Invest. 1970; 26: 174-78
• Murer EH. Effect of prostaglandin on clot retraction. Nature 1971;229:112-13
• Kvarstein B, Stormorken H. Influence of acetylsalicylic acid, butazolidin, colcicine, hydrocortisone, chlorpromazine on the phagocytosis of polystyrene latex particles by human leucocytes. Biochem. Pharmacol. 1971;20:119-24
• Sixma JJ, Trieschnigg AM, Holmsen H: Adenine nucleotide metabolism of blood platelets. VIII. Mechanism of adenine uptake by intact cells. Biochim Biophys Acta 1973;298:3-12
• Day H.J. and Stormorken H. Subcellular localization of platelet Factor 3 and 4. Scand. J Haematol. 1973;10:254-6
• Dale J, Myhre E, Storstein O, Stormorken H. Arterial thromboembolism and prosthetic heart valves. Effect of acetylsalicylic acid. Thromb. Diath. Haemorrh. 1975;34:587
• Sixma JJ, Lips JPM, Trieschnigg AM, Holmsen H: Transport and metabolism of adenosine in human blood platelets. Biochim Biophys Acta 1976;443:33-48;
• J.Dale, E.Myhre, O. Storstein, H. Stormorken, L. Efskind. Prevention of thromboembolism with acetylsalicylic acid. A controlled clinical study in patients with aortic ball valves. Am. Heart J. 1977;94:101-11
• Hagen, I, Solum N. O. XFurther studies on the protein composition and surface structure of normal platelets and from Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia and Bernard-Soulier syndrome.

Thromb. Res. 1978;13:845-55

• Erikssen J, Thaulow E, Stormorken H, Brendemoen O & A. Hellem. xABO blood groups and coronary heart disease. Thromb. Haemost. 1980;43:137-40
• Stormorken H, Bjørnerud B. & Ng Ee Chye. xA new constellation: Females with concomitant von Willebrand disease and carriership for F. VIII. Thromb. Res.1982;28:217-21
• Thaulow E, Erikssen J, Myhre E, Stormorken H, Hellem A. Platelet function related to presenting symptoms in coronary artery disease. An epidemiological study in healthy men. Scand. J. Haemat. 1982;28:281-8
• Stormorken H, Brosstad F & Seim H. xA new dysfibrinogenemia: Fibrinogen Oslo IV. Thromb. Haemost. 1983;49:120-2
• Gogstad GO, Stormorken H & Solum NO.. Platelet alpha2-antiplasmin is located in the alpha granules. Thromb. Res. 1983;31:387-90
• Stormorken H, Gogstad GO & Brosstad F.. xHereditary alpha2-antiplasmin deficiency. Thromb. Res. 1983;31:647-51
• Brosstad F,Teige B, Olaisen B, Gravem K, Godal HC & Stormorken H.xTwo-dimensional electrophoretic characterization (Iso-Dalt) of fibrinogen subunit chains from different dysfibrinogen variants. In. Fibrinogen-Structure. Eds. Haverkate et al., de Gruyter & Co, Berlin NB Årstall
• Stormorken H, Gogstad G, Solum NO. xA new bleeding disorder: Lack of platelet aggregatory response to adrenalin and lack of secondary aggregation to ADP and Platelet activating factor (PAF). Thromb. Res. 1983;29:391-402
• Stormorken, H & Erikssen J.. xF VIII levels and blood group antigens. Thromb. Haemost. 1984;51:292
• Ørstavik KH, Stormorken H, Sparr T. xHemophilia Bm in a female. Thromb. Res. 1985;37:561-6
• Stormorken H, Sjaastad O, Langslet A, Sulg I, Egge K, Diderichsen J.. xA new syndrome: Thrombocytopathia, muscle fatigue, asplenia, miosis, migraine, icthyosis, and dyslectia. Clin. Genet. 1985;28:367-74(Stormorken's syndrom)
• Thorsen LI, Brosstad F, Solum NO, Stormorken H. xIncreased binding to ADP-stimulated platelets and aggregation effects of the dysfibrinogen Oslo I as compared with normal fibrinogen. Scand. J. Haematol 1986;36:203-10
• Stormorken H, Gjemdal T, Bjøro K. A unique case of Lupus anticoagulant and habitual abortion together with factor II antibody and bleeding tendency. Gynecol. Obstet. Invest. 1988;26:83-8
• Stormorken, H, Hessel B. Lunde J & Holmsen IB. xSevere F.VIII deficiency in a chromosomally normal female. Thromb. Res. 1986;44:113-7

Schwartz, M, R S Mibashan, K H Nicolaides, E. Jenkins, K. H. Ørstavik & H. Stormorken. First trimester diagnosis of Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome by DNA-markers. Lancet 1989;ii.1405-7

• Holmsen H. Platelet Responses and Metabolism. Vol. 1,2,3. CRP Press Inc. 1987
• Stormorken H, Hellum, B, Nakstad B, Thorsrud AK, Jellum E.. xA new polymorfism of a platelet polypeptide. Thromb. Res. 1990;60:71-7
• Sjaastad ØV, Blom AK, Stormorken H, Nes N. xAdenine nucleotides, serotonin, and aggregation properties in blue foxes with Chediak-Higashi syndrome. Am. J. Med. Genet. 1990;35:373-8
• Stormorken H, Hellum B, Johansen NO, Briseid K & Ly B.. xA unique case of total kininogen deficiency. Thromb. Res. 1990;60:457-67
• Thaulow E, Erikssen J, Sandvik L & Stormorken H..xPlatelet count and function are related to total cardiovascular death in healthy men. Circulation 1991;84:613-17
• Pande, H,. Chester A, Lie H, Thorsby E & H. Stormorken. xConcomittant occurrence of Saccaridosis IIIB and Glanzmann’s thromasthenia. Clin. Genet. 1992;41:243-47.
• Barstad, R.M., H. Stormorken, L. Ørning, R.W. Stephens, L. B. Petersen, P. Kierulf & K.S. Sakariassen. xReduced thrombus formation in F VII deficient patients. Blood 1994;84;3371-77
• Schwartz MA, Bekassy A, Donner M, Hertel T, Hreidarson S, Kerndrup G, Stormorken H. xIdentification of 12 different mutations in the WASP gene. Thromb. Haemost 1996;75:546-50
• Stephens RW, Ørning L, Stormorken H, Hamers MJAG, Petersen LB, Sakariassen KS. Characterization of cell-surface procoagulant activity using a microcarrier model. Tromb. Res. 1996;84:453-61
• Brennan SO, Ridway H, Stormorken H, George PM, Brosstad F. xCharacterization of Fibrinogen Oslo IV by electrospray mass spectrometry. Thromb. Haemost 1997;77:1040-41
• Kavlie A., Orning L., Grindflek A., Stormorken H., & Prydz H. xA factor VII molecule carrying a mutation in the epidermal growth factor domain. Thromb. Haemost. 1998;79:1136-43.Totalt syv mutasjoner karakterisert i de norske F. VII pasienter (Prydz-Kavli- IfTgruppen).
• Erikssen G, Liestøl K, Bjørnholt JV, Stormorken H, Thaulow E, Eriksen J. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate: a possible marker of atherosclerosis and a strong predictor of heart disease mortality. Eur. Heart J. 2000;19:1614-20
• Special issue in honour of Professor Helge Stormorken. Thrombosis Research 1992;67 (3):277-344