Current perspective on antithrombin drugs.
Thrombin is a multifunctional serine protease, which is involved in blood coagulation and thrombosis, inflammation and wound repair in tissue injury. Its role in the amelioration of inflammatory tissue injury has been investigated. Protease-activated cell surface receptors (PARs) when activated by thrombin result in the production of proinflammatory mediators. In the kidney, these PARs are expressed on the glomerular epithelium and the vascular endothelium. The significant impact of thrombin inhibition on the development of crescentic glomerular nephritis is discussed.
McGregor
John L
JL
Inserm Unit 331, Faculty of Medicine, RTH Laénnec, University of Lyon 1, Lyon, France. mcgregor@tri-london.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D044463:Receptor, PAR-1 / Q000502:physiology; D013917:Thrombin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology
D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D044463:Receptor, PAR-1; D013917:Thrombin