Measurement of plasma and platelet tissue factor pathway inhibitor, factor V and Protein S in people with haemophilia

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is a naturally occurring anticoagulant found in plasma, where it circulates bound to lipoproteins, factor V (FV) or Protein S (PS), and in platelets. Therapeutic agents targeting TFPI are under development for the treatment of haemophilia A and haemophilia B.

To begin to understand how TFPI, FV and PS interact to modulate haemophilia bleeding.

Plasma and platelet antigen concentrations of these factors were determined in 73 people with haemophilia A and 18 with haemophilia B. Using multiple regression models, these were compared to the same analytes measured in 224 male blood donors.

There were no differences in plasma or platelet TFPI, FV or PS concentrations between haemophilia types or severities. However, compared to blood donors, people with haemophilia had approximately one-third lower plasma PS, 9% lower plasma TFPIα, 50% higher platelet FV and 26% lower platelet Protein S.

Together, the presented data suggest that individuals with haemophilia may have a compensatory procoagulant response of both plasma and platelet proteins to the decreased concentrations of FVIII or FIX.