title: Thrombin activation and liver inflammation in advanced hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with increased thrombotic risk. Several mechanisms are involved including direct endothelial damage by the HCV virus, with activation of tissue factor, altered fibrinolysis and increased platelet aggregation and activation. In advanced stages, chronic HCV infection may evolve to liver cirrhosis, a condition in which alterations in the portal microcirculation may also ultimately lead to thrombin activation, platelet aggregation, and clot formation. Therefore in advanced HCV liver disease there is an increased prevalence of thrombotic phenomena in portal vein radicles. Increased thrombin formation may activate hepatic stellate cells and promote liver fibrosis. In addition, ischemic changes derived from vascular occlusion by microthrombi favor the so called parenchymal extinction, a process that promotes collapse of hepatocytes and the formation of gross fibrous tracts. These reasons may explain why advanced HCV infection may evolve more rapidly to end-stage liver disease than other forms of cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Emilio González-Reimers, Geraldine Quintero-Platt, Candelaria Martín-González, Onán Pérez-Hernández, Lucía Romero-Acevedo, Francisco Santolaria-Fernández, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, 38320 Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Reimers
authors.affiliation: Emilio González-Reimers, Geraldine Quintero-Platt, Candelaria Martín-González, Onán Pérez-Hernández, Lucía Romero-Acevedo, Francisco Santolaria-Fernández, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, 38320 Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quintero-Platt
authors.affiliation: Emilio González-Reimers, Geraldine Quintero-Platt, Candelaria Martín-González, Onán Pérez-Hernández, Lucía Romero-Acevedo, Francisco Santolaria-Fernández, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, 38320 Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Candelaria
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martín-González
authors.affiliation: Emilio González-Reimers, Geraldine Quintero-Platt, Candelaria Martín-González, Onán Pérez-Hernández, Lucía Romero-Acevedo, Francisco Santolaria-Fernández, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, 38320 Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Onán
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pérez-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Emilio González-Reimers, Geraldine Quintero-Platt, Candelaria Martín-González, Onán Pérez-Hernández, Lucía Romero-Acevedo, Francisco Santolaria-Fernández, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, 38320 Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Romero-Acevedo
authors.affiliation: Emilio González-Reimers, Geraldine Quintero-Platt, Candelaria Martín-González, Onán Pérez-Hernández, Lucía Romero-Acevedo, Francisco Santolaria-Fernández, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, 38320 Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santolaria-Fernández
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D011169:Portal Vein; D012307:Risk Factors; D013917:Thrombin / Q000378:metabolism*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D013917:Thrombin
keywords: Coagulation; Fibrogenesis; Hepatitis C virus; Liver cirrhosis; Parenchymal extinction; Portal thrombosis; Protein C