Does plasmin have anticoagulant activity?

Review

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Authors: Jane Hoover-Plow

Published Date March 2010 Volume 2010:6 Pages 199 - 205

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S9358

Jane Hoover-Plow

Joseph J Jacobs Center for Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine and Molecular Cardiology, Lerner Research Institute Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA

Abstract: The coagulation and fibrinolytic pathways regulate hemostasis and thrombosis, and an imbalance in these pathways may result in pathologic hemophilia or thrombosis. The plasminogen system is the primary proteolytic pathway for fibrinolysis, but also has important proteolytic functions in cell migration, extracellular matrix degradation, metalloproteinase activation, and hormone processing. Several studies have demonstrated plasmin cleavage and inactivation of several coagulation factors, suggesting plasmin may be not only be the primary fibrinolytic enzyme, but may have anticoagulant properties as well. The objective of this review is to examine both in vitro and in vivo evidence for plasmin inactivation of coagulation, and to consider whether plasmin may act as a physiological regulator of coagulation. While several studies have demonstrated strong evidence for plasmin cleavage and inactivation of coagulation factors FV, FVIII, FIX, and FX in vitro, in vivo evidence is lacking for a physiologic role for plasmin as an anticoagulant. However, inactivation of coagulation factors by plasmin may be useful as a localized anticoagulant therapy or as a combined thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy.

Keywords: thrombosis, anticoagulant, cardiovascular disease, plasminogen’s protease, blood

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