title: Low levels of thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) in patients with chronic liver disease.
abstract: Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor (TAFI) is a 60 kappaD glycoprotein present in plasma that regulates fibrinolysis by limiting the amount of fibrin available for fibrinolysis by tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Chronic liver disease is well-known to be associated with a low-grade fibrinolytic syndrome that under the appropriate stimulus proceeds to an overt disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) with demonstrable bleeding. In the present study, TAFI activity was measured in the plasma of 74 patients with advanced liver disease, and the levels of TAFI were related to those of other important coagulation and fibrinolytic factors. TAFI levels were very low and essentially undetectable in the plasma of patients with advanced hepatocellular liver disease. No relationship with the degradation products of fibrin was evident.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Van Thiel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fareed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D025901:Carboxypeptidase B2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000097:blood; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012709:Serum Albumin; D025901:Carboxypeptidase B2