MOLECULES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE ATHEROTHROMBOTIC STATE

The major initiator of the clotting system and the bodies ability to achieve hemostatis is tissue factor , it is a component of athersclerotic plaque and is the major contributor in clots that are formed in the arteries. It is associated with acute coronary syndrome.

Tissue factor antigen has been found in abudance in the plaque that is formed on the artery wall.

If you are a patient on an anticoagulant and have your blood tested for protime's or aptt's,if you ever notice how they draw these specimens it is usually done with a tube that is discarded.

The reason the tube is discarded is because of tissue factor, that is in the tissues, in order not to reach the blood flow,tissue factor has to be disengaged.

If not, what will happen is the tissue factor will set off the clotting system and the results will be invalid.

With the rupture of plaque this exposes active tissue factor to circulating blood thus a blood clot is formed.

Tissue factor adheres differently on different surfaces, the majority of tissue factor is inactive, and can be activated by altered phospholipids structures. It is when the active form of TF is released that the body is no longer in a state of homostasis and the arteries are in a procoagulant state.

There are other activators of atherosclerotic plaque and I will touch on these at another time.

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