title: The dynamics of thrombin formation.
abstract: The central event of the hemostatic process is the generation of thrombin through the tissue factor pathway. This is a highly regulated, dynamic process in which thrombin itself plays many roles, positively and negatively its production and destruction. The hemostatic process is essential to normal physiology and is also the Achilles heel of our aging population. The inappropriate generation of thrombin may lead to vascular occlusion with the consequence of myocardial infarction, stroke, pulmonary embolism, or venous thrombosis. In this review, we summarize our present views regarding the tissue factor pathway by which thrombin is generated and the roles played by extrinsic and intrinsic factor Xa generating complexes in hemostasis and the roles of the stoichiometric and dynamic inhibitors that regulate thrombin generation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont, College of Medicine, Burlington, Vt 05405, USA. kmann@zoo.uvm.edu
authors.forename: Kenneth G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Saulius
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Butenas
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brummel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019774:Blood Coagulation Factor Inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000502:physiology; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D013917:Thrombin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019774:Blood Coagulation Factor Inhibitors; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D013925:Thromboplastin; D013917:Thrombin