Tissue factor pathway of coagulation in sepsis
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 3, 2026

A Reproducible Intensive Care Unit-Oriented Endotoxin Model in Rats
Published on: February 20, 2021
1Central Laboratory of The Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Academic Hospital Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. hack@clb.nl
Objective:
To review the role of the tissue factor pathway of coagulation in experimental sepsis.
Data Sources:
Studies published in biomedical journals.
Study Selection:
Studies on the role of the tissue factor pathway in animal or human models for sepsis.
Data Extraction And Synthesis:
Variables reflecting tissue factor pathway activation in the various models are discussed; the effects of administration of tissue factor pathway inhibitors on these and inflammatory variables, as well as on the course and outcome, are analyzed.
Conclusion:
Activation of coagulation during experimental sepsis occurs mainly, if not exclusively, via the tissue factor pathway; inhibitors of this pathway improve mortality, presumably by a combined attenuating effect on coagulative and inflammatory responses.
Related Concept Videos
Introduction to Hemostasis
The three phases of hemostasis involve many clotting factors present in plasma and several substances released by platelets and injured tissue cells. It is a fast, localized, and...
Formation of the Platelet Plug
As the injured blood vessel contracts, endothelial cells undergo contraction, revealing collagen fibers in the basement membrane and underlying connective tissue. Furthermore, the plasma membrane of endothelial cells becomes adhesive, preparing the site for platelet adhesion. Platelets...
Coagulation
During the coagulation phase, clotting factors, or procoagulants, play a vital role in initiating and progressing the coagulation cascade. This cascade is a series of reactions...
Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis
The Extrinsic Pathway
The extrinsic pathway of coagulation is typically initiated by tissue damage that exposes blood to tissue factor (TF), a protein released by the damaged tissue cells outside the blood vessels—this interaction with TF triggers biochemical reactions involving specific clotting factors. The key player here is Factor VII, which forms a...
Clot Retraction and Fibrinolysis
Acute Inflammation III: Local and Systemic Effects

