Tissue-factor antigen and activity in human coronary atherosclerotic plaques.
BACKGROUND
Coronary atherosclerotic-plaque thrombosis is a key event in the pathogenesis of unstable angina and myocardial infarction. Although plaque rupture or fissuring frequently occurs in atherosclerosis, only a small proportion of ruptured plaques develop thromboses.


METHODS
Tissue-factor antigen and activity were measured in atherectomy samples from 50 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease (stable angina n = 19, unstable angina n = 24, and myocardial infarction n = 7).


RESULTS
Median tissue-factor antigen and activity concentrations were significantly higher in plaques from patients with unstable angina and myocardial infarction than in those from patients with stable angina (antigen: 66.1 pg/mg [interquartile range 43.8-82.5] vs 32.4 pg/mg [9.8-43.4], p = 0.0001; activity: 0.22 mU/mg [0.17-0.41] vs 0.13 mU/mg [0.05-0.16], p = 0.0004).


CONCLUSIONS
Tissue-factor, an initiator of the coagulation cascade, may account for the different thrombotic responses to the rupture of human coronary atherosclerotic plaques.
Ardissino
D
D
Division of Cardiology, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy. ARDIS001@planet.it
Merlini
P A
PA
Ariëns
R
R
Coppola
R
R
Bramucci
E
E
Mannucci
P M
PM
D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D000941:Antigens; D013925:Thromboplastin