Internal medicine

Pathology

Enzyme

Proteases

Tissue factor

Microvesicles

Disseminated intravascular coagulation

Thrombus

Fibrin

Biology

Gene

Thromboplastin

microRNA

Immunology

Coagulation

Hemostasis

Thrombin

Microvesicle

Factor VII

Cell biology

Cancer research

Biochemistry

Medicine

Platelet

Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology

Tissue factor (TF) is the high-affinity receptor and cofactor for factor (F)VII/VIIa. The TF-FVIIa complex is the primary initiator of blood coagulation and plays an essential role in hemostasis. TF is expressed on perivascular cells and epithelial cells at organ and body surfaces where it forms a hemostatic barrier. TF also provides additional hemostatic protection to vital organs, such as the brain, lung, and heart. Under pathological conditions, TF can trigger both arterial and venous thrombosis. For instance, atherosclerotic plaques contain high levels of TF on macrophage foam cells and microvesicles that drives thrombus formation after plaque rupture. In sepsis, inducible TF expression on monocytes leads to disseminated intravascular coagulation. In cancer patients, tumors release TF-positive microvesicles into the circulation that may contribute to venous thrombosis. TF also has nonhemostatic roles. For instance, TF-dependent activation of the coagulation cascade generates coagulation proteases, such as FVIIa, FXa, and thrombin, which induce signaling in a variety of cells by cleavage of protease-activated receptors. This review will focus on the roles of TF in protective hemostasis and pathological thrombosis.

Tissue Factor