Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 18, 2025

Measurement of Factor V Activity in Human Plasma Using a Microplate Coagulation Assay
13:08

Measurement of Factor V Activity in Human Plasma Using a Microplate Coagulation Assay

Published on: September 9, 2012

19.3K

Factor VIII and Functional Protein C Activity in Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Case Series

Ali Tabatabai1, Joseph Rabin2, Jay Menaker2

  • 1From the Program in Trauma, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Department of Medicine.

A&A Practice
|June 17, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Critically ill COVID-19 patients show high Factor VIII and low protein C activity, potentially explaining their hypercoagulable state. This finding highlights key coagulation factors in severe coronavirus disease 2019.

Area of Science:

  • Coagulation science
  • Critical care medicine
  • Infectious diseases

Background:

  • Critically ill patients with COVID-19 exhibit hypercoagulability.
  • Mechanisms underlying COVID-19-associated hypercoagulability are not well understood.
  • Factor VIII (FVIII) is a procoagulant that elevates during inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the activity of Factor VIII and functional protein C in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
  • To explore the potential contribution of these factors to hypercoagulability in severe COVID-19.

Main Methods:

  • Case series of 10 critically ill patients with COVID-19.
  • Measurement of Factor VIII activity.
  • Assessment of functional protein C activity.

Main Results:

  • Patients presented with severely elevated Factor VIII activity.
  • Patients demonstrated low normal functional protein C activity.
  • These coagulation factor levels may contribute to the hypercoagulable state observed.

Conclusions:

  • Severe elevations in Factor VIII activity and low normal protein C activity were observed in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
  • These findings suggest a potential mechanism for hypercoagulability in severe COVID-19.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm these observations and their clinical implications.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: High-Sensitivity Tissue Factor Activity Assay for Plasma Diagnosis03:53

Author Spotlight: High-Sensitivity Tissue Factor Activity Assay for Plasma Diagnosis

Published on: December 29, 2023

1.1K
Helical Organization of Blood Coagulation Factor VIII on Lipid Nanotubes12:24

Helical Organization of Blood Coagulation Factor VIII on Lipid Nanotubes

Published on: June 3, 2014

12.6K

Related Concept Videos

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins01:30

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins

Hemostasis is a crucial process that prevents excessive blood loss from damaged blood vessels. It involves various mechanisms such as vasoconstriction, platelet adhesion and activation, and fibrin formation. The importance of each mechanism depends on the type of vessel injury. In contrast, thrombosis is the abnormal formation of a blood clot within the blood vessels, leading to potential complications if the clot obstructs blood flow. Thrombosis can be caused by increased coagulability of the...
1.4K
Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants01:18

Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants

Oral anticoagulants are vital tools in preventing and treating blood clotting disorders. This diverse class of medications can be categorized as vitamin K antagonists, exemplified by warfarin, and direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), such as dabigatran, as well as factor Xa inhibitors, including rivaroxaban.
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
1.8K
Clot Retraction and Fibrinolysis01:16

Clot Retraction and Fibrinolysis

After a fibrin clot is formed, the next step is clot retraction, a vital process facilitated by platelet contractile proteins, such as actin and myosin. These proteins pull the fibrin strands closer together and condense the clot. This action reduces the size of the clot, creating a smaller, denser structure that effectively seals off the damaged vessel. Clot retraction consolidates the clot and helps with wound healing by bringing the edges of the damaged blood vessel closer together.
8.0K
Coagulation01:09

Coagulation

The coagulation phase is a critical part of the body's process to prevent blood loss following injury to blood vessels. It involves chemical reactions that form a clot to seal the injured area. The clotting process begins shortly after injury, within 15-20 seconds for severe damage and 1-2 minutes for minor injuries.
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...
9.3K
Coagulation01:06

Coagulation

Colloidal solids are solid particles suspended in solution. They are usually negatively charged, attracting a compact primary layer of positively charged ions, which attract more counterions to form an electrical double layer. Electrostatic repulsion between the charged double layers prevents the particles from colliding, stabilizing the colloids. These solids are often undesirable because they can contain toxins that are difficult to remove. Coagulation is a technique that helps aggregate and...
1.1K
Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care01:29

Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care

Diagnosing Pulmonary EmbolismDiagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE) involves clinical assessment and advanced imaging tests. The preferred diagnostic tool is the spiral (helical) CT scan or CT angiography (CTA), which uses intravenous contrast media to visualize the pulmonary vasculature and identify emboli.A ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan is an alternative for patients unable to receive contrast media. This scan includes both perfusion and ventilation scanning. Perfusion scanning involves...
176