Hyperfibrinolysis is thought to contribute to bleeding associated with advanced cirrhosis. Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is a plasma precursor of a carboxypeptidase (TAFIa) with antifibrinolytic activity and was recently shown to be reduced in cirrhosis. In this study, we evaluated the influence of TAFI deficiency on in vitro fibrinolysis in cirrhotic patients. Fifty-three patients with cirrhosis and 43 healthy controls were studied. TAFI antigen was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and TAFI activity by chromogenic assay. Fibrinolysis was evaluated as tissue plasminogen activator-induced plasma clot lysis time in the absence and in the presence of a specific inhibitor of TAFIa. TAFI antigen and activity levels were markedly reduced in cirrhotic patients (P < .0001). In these patients, the lysis time of plasma clots was shorter than in controls (median, interquartile range: 25 minutes, 21-36 minutes vs. 48 minutes, 40-60 minutes, respectively; P < .0001) and was poorly influenced by the TAFIa inhibitor. Accordingly, TAFIa and thrombin activity, generated in cirrhotic samples during clot lysis, were significantly lower than in control samples. Addition of purified TAFI to cirrhotic plasma prolonged the lysis time and enhanced the response to TAFIa inhibitor in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, our results indicate that in vitro plasma hyperfibrinolysis in cirrhosis is largely due to a defective TAFIa generation resulting from low TAFI levels and probably from impaired thrombin generation. Impairment of the antifibrinolytic TAFI pathway might contribute to bleeding associated with this disease. (HEPATOLOGY 2003;38:230-237.) H yperfibrinolysis is a common finding in cirrhosis and is thought to contribute to the bleeding tendency associated with this disease by causing a premature removal of the hemostatic plug at sites of vascular injury. The abnormalities of the fibrinolytic system encountered in cirrhosis are complex and result from both impaired synthesis and altered clearance of the fibrinolytic factors. 1 Of particular relevance to hyperfibrinolysis are the imbalance between tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and its specific inhibitor (PAI-1), which results in an enhancement of free t-PA in the circulation and the reduction of ␣ 2 -plasmin inhibitor (␣ 2 -PI). [2][3][4][5][6] In recent years, a new plasma protein has been identified that may play an important regulatory role in fibrinolysis. It is a procarboxypeptidase synthesized by the liver and named thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) or procarboxypeptidase B or U. 7-9 Upon activation by thrombin or plasmin, it is converted to an enzyme (TAFIa) with carboxypeptidase B-like activity that inhibits fibrinolysis through the removal of C-terminal lysines from partially degraded fibrin. 10,11 In so doing, TAFIa reduces the cofactor function of fibrin in the plasminogen activation catalyzed by t-PA, thereby decreasing plasmin generation. The most likely physiologic activator of TAFI is thrombin, 12,13 whi...
The prothrombin gene mutation G20210A is a common risk factor for thrombosis and is associated with increased prothrombin levels. However, the mechanism whereby hyperprothrombinemia predisposes to thrombosis remains unclear. Because thrombin is the physiologic activator of TAFI (thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor), the precursor of an antifibrinolytic carboxypeptidase (TAFIa), we evaluated the influence of hyperprothrombinemia on fibrinolysis. Thirty-two heterozygous carriers of the G20210A mutation and 30 noncarriers were studied.Plasma fibrinolytic factors and TAFI levels were similar in the 2 groups. Mean lysis time of tissue factor-induced plasma clots exposed to 25 ng/mL exogenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) was significantly longer in 20210A carriers than in control donors. This difference disappeared on addition of a specific inhibitor of TAFIa. Determination of thrombin and TAFIa activity, generated during clot lysis, revealed that G20210A mutation was associated with a significant enhancement of late thrombin formation and an increase in TAFI activation.Plasma prothrombin level was highly significantly correlated with both clot lysis time and TAFI activation. The addition of purified prothrombin, but not of factors X or VIIa, to normal plasma caused a concentration-dependent, TAFI-mediated inhibition of fibrinolysis. These findings provide a new mechanism that might contribute to the thrombotic risk in prothrombin 20210A carriers. IntroductionThe prothrombin gene mutation G20210A is the second most common genetic disorder associated with venous thrombosis. It is found in 4.6% to 8% of unselected patients with a first episode of deep vein thrombosis, as contrasted to 0.7% to 2.6% in healthy controls, and heterozygote carriers have a 2-to 7-fold increased risk of thrombosis (reviewed in Vicente et al 1 ). The presence of the 20210A allele is associated with elevated prothrombin levels, and hyperprothrombinemia has been shown to be an independent risk factor for thrombosis. 2 However, the underlying mechanism by which elevated prothrombin promotes thrombosis is still unclear. On the basis of in vitro 3 and in vivo 4 data, it is surmised that hyperprothrombinemia enhances thrombin generation whenever blood clotting is activated in vivo, thereby promoting excessive fibrin formation. Thrombin plays also an important role in the down-regulation of fibrinolysis by catalyzing the activation of TAFI (thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor), a plasma precursor of a carboxypeptidase B that inhibits plasmin formation by removing the plasminogen binding sites from partially degraded fibrin. 5 This study was designed to evaluate the influence of the G20210A mutation and of hyperprothrombinemia on TAFI-mediated inhibition of fibrinolysis. Patients, materials, and methods PatientsThirty-two carriers of the prothrombin G20210A mutation (all heterozygous) and 30 noncarriers were studied. Blood was collected by vacuum collection tubes (Vacutainer; Becton Dickinson, Meylan, France) containing 1/1...
We describe an enhanced TAFI-related antifibrinolytic activity in mild HHcy, which might account for the reported heightened thrombosis risk; however, it is unknown whether HHcy is causally related to hypofibrinolysis or an associated bystander.
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