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Thromb Haemost 2001; 85(04): 667-670
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1615651
Review Articles
Schattauer GmbH

Low Levels of Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor (TAFI) in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease

David H. Van Thiel
1   Departments of Medicine
,
Magdalene George
3   Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA
,
Jawed Fareed
3   Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 07 August 2001

Accepted after revision 15 November 2000

Publication Date:
08 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor (TAFI) is a 60 κD glycoprotein present in plasma that regulates fibrinolysis by limiting the amount of fibrin available for fibrinolysis by tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Chronic liver disease is well-known to be associated with a low-grade fibrinolytic syndrome that under the appropriate stimulus proceeds to an overt disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) with demonstrable bleeding. In the present study, TAFI activity was measured in the plasma of 74 patients with advanced liver disease, and the levels of TAFI were related to those of other important coagulation and fibrinolytic factors. TAFI levels were very low and essentially undetectable in the plasma of patients with advanced hepatocellular liver disease. No relationship with the degradation products of fibrin was evident.

Keywords

Liver disease - coagulopathy - fibrinolysis - TAFI - disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC)
 

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