title: Tissue factor pathway inhibitor activity in severe sepsis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the preclinical and clinical evidence that provides the therapeutic rationale for recombinant human tissue factor pathway inhibitor (rTFPI) as a novel treatment for human sepsis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A summary of published English-language literature regarding preclinical studies and limited information published about three phase II clinical studies for the evaluation of rTFPI safety in sepsis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue factor pathway inhibitor, the physiologic inhibitor of the tissue factor pathway, interrupts activation of coagulation at multiple steps, including tissue factor VIIa activity, Xa activity, prothrombinase complex, and thrombin generation. Recombinant human TFPI exhibits anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory activities in animal models and humans with sepsis. These activities appear to have an important therapeutic role in protecting the microvasculature from injury and preventing multiple organ failure in sepsis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tissue factor pathway inhibitor is a potent inhibitor of clotting in the microvasculature, which is thought to protect organs from injury. Recombinant TFPI improved survival of septic animals in multiple models. Recent phase II results suggest that rTFPI is well tolerated, and they show a trend toward reduction in 28-day all-cause mortality in rTFPI-treated patients; in addition, rTFPI demonstrated significant reduction in thrombin generation. These results suggest that a powered study is indicated to further evaluate rTFPI utility for the adjunctive management of severe sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Chiron Corporation, Emeryville, CA, USA.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Creasey
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reinhart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D008074:Lipoproteins; C051928:lipoprotein-associated coagulation inhibitor; D013925:Thromboplastin