[Frontiers in Bioscience E4, 358-372, January 1, 2012]

Tissue factor in health and disease

Julie C. Williams1, Nigel Mackman1

1Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, McAllister Heart Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Tissue factor and coagulation
4. Tissue factor and protease activated receptors
5. Tissue factor and development
6. Tissue factor and pregnancy
7. Tissue factor and bacterial infection
8. Tissue factor and viral infection
9. Tissue factor and cardiovascular disease
10. Tissue factor and thrombosis
11. Tissue factor and cancer
12. Tissue factor and anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome
13. Tissue factor and sickle cell disease
14. Tissue factor and diabetes
15. Tissue factor and other non-infectious disease
16. Strategies to inhibit tissue factor
17. Conclusion
18. Acknowledgments
19. References

1. ABSTRACT

Tissue Factor (TF) is a crucial initiator of the extrinsic coagulation cascade. TF is expressed on cells which are normally sequestered from blood. However, upon injury TF is exposed to the blood resulting in activation of the coagulation cascade. TF dependent generation of coagulation proteases also initiates intracellular signaling through protease activated receptors. Pathologic TF expression is found in patients with a number of different diseases. This review will describe the roles of TF in health and disease as well as discuss approaches to reduce pathologic TF expression.