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Activated protein C correlates inversely with thrombin levels in resting healthy individuals
Author(s) -
Fernández José A.,
Petäjä Jari,
Gruber András,
Griffin John H.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-8652(199709)56:1<29::aid-ajh6>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - thrombin , medicine , protein c , endocrinology , thrombin generation , cardiology , platelet
To study whether the circulating anticoagulant, activated protein C (APC), could be a regulator of thrombin activity in basal physiological conditions, fibrinopeptide A and activated protein C levels were determined in samples from 40 healthy individuals. There was a significant inverse correlation between the fibrinopeptide A and APC levels (Spearman rank correlation R = −0.487; P = 0.0023). Because of well‐known mechanisms by which decreasing APC levels could cause increased thrombin formation, we suggest that APC may downregulate thrombin activity in subjects with normal protein C levels. Regulation of thrombin formation in health is likely significant for maintaining vascular patency but its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. The current data suggest that a single physiological anticoagulant, namely APC, may be a significant regulator of procoagulant thrombin activity. Am. J. Hematol. 56:29–31, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.