Glycolytic reprogramming fuels myeloid cell-driven hypercoagulability

Myeloid cell metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of inflammatory disease; however, its role in inflammation-induced hypercoagulability is poorly understood.

We aimed to evaluate the role of inflammation-associated metabolic reprogramming in regulating blood coagulation.

We used novel myeloid cell-based global hemostasis assays and murine models of immunometabolic disease.

Glycolysis was essential for enhanced activated myeloid cell tissue factor expression and decryption, driving increased cell-dependent thrombin generation in response to inflammatory challenge. Similarly, inhibition of glycolysis enhanced activated macrophage fibrinolytic activity through reduced plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 activity. Macrophage polarization or activation markedly increased endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) expression on monocytes and macrophages, leading to increased myeloid cell-dependent protein C activation. Importantly, inflammation-dependent EPCR expression on tissue-resident macrophages was also observed in vivo. Adipose tissue macrophages from obese mice fed a high-fat diet exhibited significantly enhanced EPCR expression and activated protein C generation compared with macrophages isolated from the adipose tissue of healthy mice. Similarly, the induction of colitis in mice prompted infiltration of EPCR⁺ innate myeloid cells within inflamed colonic tissue that were absent from the intestinal tissue of healthy mice.

Collectively, this study identifies immunometabolic regulation of myeloid cell hypercoagulability, opening new therapeutic possibilities for targeted mitigation of thromboinflammatory disease.