title: Low levels of activated factor VII in systemic sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent investigations show that activated factor VII, the primary enzyme in the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation, exerts additional extra-coagulant functions, such as apoptosis and angiogenesis. On the basis of these recent acquisitions, the present study was aimed to evaluate activated factor VII in patients with systemic sclerosis and to establish a potential association with pathogenesis and complications of this severe autoimmune disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Activated factor VII level was measured in twenty-eight consecutive scleroderma patients (2 men and 26 women, mean age 49.7 +/- 14.8 years). The main clinical correlates of disease, such as disease activity, renal function, skin, vascular and lung involvement, were evaluated by clinical and instrumental investigations. Activated factor VII level was also evaluated in 28 sex and age matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Systemic sclerosis patients exhibited plasma activated factor VII activities significantly lower than those of healthy matched controls (15.2 versus 37.7 U/l, respectively; p < 0.001). No correlation was observed between plasma activated factor VII concentration and age, disease duration, disease subset, disease activity, renal, lung, skin and microvascular involvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of our investigation provide first evidence of low activated factor VII activity in patients with systemic sclerosis. Reduced activated factor VII activity might be involved in the pathogenesis of the ischemic complications, by modulating apoptotic and angiogenetic processes.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: Gian Luca
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Salvagno
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lippi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caramaschi
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montagnana
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Canestrini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carletto
authors.forename: Lisa Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bambara
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biasi
authors.forename: Gian Cesare
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Guidi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015942:Factor VIIa / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015942:Factor VIIa