Abstract
To study whether the circulating anticoagulant, activated protein C (APC), could be a regulator of thrombin activity in basal physiological conditions, fibrinopeptide A and activated protein C levels were determined in samples from 40 healthy individuals. There was a significant inverse correlation between the fibrinopeptide A and APC levels (Spearman rank correlation R = -0.487; P = 0.0023). Because of well-known mechanisms by which decreasing APC levels could cause increased thrombin formation, we suggest that APC may downregulate thrombin activity in subjects with normal protein C levels. Regulation of thrombin formation in health is likely significant for maintaining vascular patency but its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. The current data suggest that a single physiological anticoagulant, namely APC, may be a significant regulator of procoagulant thrombin activity.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 29-31 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | American Journal of Hematology |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1997 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Anticoagulants
- Fibrinopeptide A
- Protein C
- Thrombin
- Venous thrombosis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hematology