title: Protein C anticoagulant system in patients with interstitial lung disease.
abstract: Excessive procoagulant activity in the alveolar space may play a relevant role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Hypercoagulability results from the disruption of the balance between the procoagulant and anticoagulant factors. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of molecular markers of the anticoagulant protein C (PC) pathway in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and plasma of 11 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 14 with sarcoidosis and 16 with collagen vascular disease (CVD)-associated interstitial lung disease (CVD-ILD). Six healthy nonsmoking volunteers served as control subjects. BALF concentrations of the marker of clotting activation, thrombin- antithrombin III complex (TAT), in patients with sarcoidosis and CVD-ILD were significantly greater than those in control subjects. PC levels in BALF were markedly higher in patients with IPF (610 +/- 150 ng/ml), sarcoidosis (680 +/- 170 ng/ml), and CVD-ILD (1,580 +/- 600 ng/ml) than in control subjects (230 +/- 140 ng/ml). BALF concentrations of activated PC-PC inhibitor (APC-PCI) complex were significantly decreased in IPF (0.46 +/- 0.16 ng/ml), sarcoidosis (0. 43 +/- 0.11 ng/ml), and CVD-ILD (0.50 +/- 0.15 ng/ml) patients as compared with control subjects (1.08 +/- 0.23 ng/ml). APC-PCI/PC ratios were significantly lower in patients with IPF (2.70 +/- 1.74 ng/microg), sarcoidosis (1.94 +/- 0.82 ng/microg), and CVD-ILD (1.89 +/- 0.68 ng/microg) than in control subjects (15.91 +/- 8.45 ng/microg). Plasma levels of APC- PCI and the APC-PCI/PC ratio were also significantly decreased in patients with CVD-ILD as compared with control subjects. Overall, these findings suggest that decreased PC activation with increased procoagulant activity occurs in patients with ILD.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Molecular Pathobiology, and Second Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Gabazza
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeya
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hataji
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adachi
mesh_terms: D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000032:analysis; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D002452:Cell Count; D003095:Collagen Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis; D011486:Protein C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011486:Protein C; D011506:Proteins; C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; D000990:Antithrombin III; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases