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Author Spotlight: High-Sensitivity Tissue Factor Activity Assay for Plasma Diagnosis
Published on: December 29, 2023
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Tissue factor in atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis
Steven P Grover1, Nigel Mackman1
1UNC Blood Research Center, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Atherosclerosis
|July 18, 2020
Summary
Tissue factor (TF) drives blood clot formation in atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease. TF pathway inhibitor 1 (TFPI-1) modulates this process, impacting cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Hemostasis and Thrombosis
- Pathology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory arterial disease characterized by lipid-rich plaques.
- Atherothrombosis, the terminal stage, involves plaque rupture leading to occlusive thrombi, causing myocardial infarction and stroke.
- Tissue factor (TF) initiates coagulation via the TF:factor VIIa complex, crucial for arterial thrombosis in atherosclerosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of TF-dependent coagulation activation in atherothrombotic disease.
- To highlight the significance of TF and its inhibitor, TFPI-1, in atherosclerotic plaques.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on the contribution of TF to atherothrombosis.
- Analysis of studies investigating TF and TFPI-1 expression and function in atherosclerotic models.
Main Results:
- TF is highly expressed in atherosclerotic plaques by foam cells, smooth muscle cells, and extracellular vesicles.
- TF-mediated coagulation activation is critical for arterial thrombosis in atherosclerosis.
- TF pathway inhibitor 1 (TFPI-1) is present in plaques, and its modulation affects atherosclerosis in mouse models.
Conclusions:
- TF-dependent coagulation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherothrombotic disease.
- Targeting TF or TFPI-1 may offer therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis and its thrombotic complications.
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