Thromb Haemost 2000; 83(03): 445-454
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1613835
Review Article
Schattauer GmbH

Measurement of Tissue Factor Activity in Whole Blood

Richard A. Santucci
1   The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
,
Jonathan Erlich
1   The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
,
Joanne Labriola
1   The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
,
Mark Wilson
2   University Surgical Associates, Louisville, KY
,
K. J. Kao
3   University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
,
Thomas S. Kickler
5   The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
,
Charles Spillert
4   UMD New Jersey Medical School, Newark
,
Nigel Mackman
1   The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
› Author Affiliations
Supported by NIH Grant HL48872
Further Information

Publication History

Received 11 June 1999

Accepted after resubmission 05 November 1999

Publication Date:
14 December 2017 (online)

Summary

High circulating levels of the procoagulant molecule tissue factor (TF) are associated with thrombosis in a variety of diseases including unstable angina, cancer, and sepsis. Currently, there are no clinical assays to measure the level of TF activity in whole blood. We present an assay called Tissue Factor Clotting Time (“TiFaCT”) that detects fibrin formation in human blood. The mean baseline clotting time in a healthy population was 472 ± 94 s (mean ± SD, n = 150). Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS or endotoxin) shortened the clotting time in a time-dependent manner. Inhibitory anti-TF antibodies prolonged the clotting time of LPS-stimulated blood, indicating that the shortened clotting time was due to induction of TF expression. Patients with unstable angina had shortened mean baseline clotting time (284 ± 86, n = 13) compared with healthy volunteers (474 ± 98, n = 30), suggesting that these patients had elevated levels of circulating TF. The TiFaCT assay should prove clinically useful in quantifying the levels of circulating TF in patients at risk of thrombosis.

 
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