UMLS:C0036690 - FACTA Search

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Query: UMLS:C0036690 (sepsis)
59,461 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The goals of this chapter are to provide a brief review of the biology of the protein C pathway and some of the features of the pathway that make it uniquely positioned to control microvascular coagulation and control the acute inflammatory response. Activated protein C works as an antithrombotic agent by inactivating factors Va and VIIIa. It is particularly effective at preventing microvascular thrombosis. Platelets may provide a margin of safety for activated protein C as an antithrombotic. Approximately 25% of the factor V/Va in plasma is contained within the platelet and hence resistant to time dependent inactivation by activated protein C. In addition, factor Va bound to the platelet surface is relatively resistant to inactivation by activated protein C. Activated protein C also facilitates clot lysis by inhibiting plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, a process that is accelerated markedly by vitronectin. Inflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) downregulate two key components of the protein C activation complex, thrombomodulin and the endothelial cell protein C receptor resulting in decreased protein C activation. Activated protein C in turn has been shown in several animal models and in vitro to inhibit TNF elaboration in response to endotoxin. This inhibition appears to be due to diminished nuclear factor kappaB (NF kappaB) expression and nuclear translocation. Activated protein C has been shown to reduce the rate of death due to severe sepsis. This reduction may be due to both the anticoagulant effects as demonstrated by a reduction in D-dimer and inflammatory effects as demonstrated by a reduction in interleukin 6.
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PMID:Protein C pathway in sepsis. 1255

In the pathogenesis of sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), dysfunctional anticoagulant pathways are important. The function of the protein C system in DIC is impaired because of low levels of protein C and down-regulation of thrombomodulin. The administration of (activated) protein C results in an improved outcome in experimental and clinical studies of DIC. It is unknown whether congenital deficiencies in the protein C system are associated with more severe DIC. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a heterozygous deficiency of protein C on experimental DIC in mice. Mice with single-allele targeted disruption of the protein C gene (PC+/-) mice and wild-type littermates (PC+/+) were injected with Escherichia coli endotoxin (50 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. PC+/-mice had more severe DIC, as evidenced by a greater decrease in fibrinogen level and a larger drop in platelet count. Histologic examination showed more fibrin deposition in lungs, kidneys, and liver in mice with a heterozygous deficiency of protein C. Interestingly, PC+/- mice had significantly higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1beta, indicating an interaction between the protein C system and the inflammatory response. Survival was lower at 12 and 24 hours after endotoxin in the PC+/- mice. These results confirm the important role of the protein C system in the coagulative-inflammatory response on endotoxemia and may suggest that congenital deficiencies in the protein C system are associated with more severe DIC and adverse outcome in sepsis.
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PMID:Aggravation of endotoxin-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation and cytokine activation in heterozygous protein-C-deficient mice. 1260 41

Activation of protein C by thrombin bound to thrombomodulin is enhanced by endothelial protein C receptor. This pathway may inhibit inflammation. We investigated effects of protein C and activated protein C on neutrophils as well as whether an endothelial protein C receptor is involved in mediating protein C effects. Neutrophils were from venous blood of healthy donors. Cell migration, respiratory burst, phagocytic activity, and apoptosis were studied by micropore filter assays and fluorometry. Receptor expression was investigated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for mRNA, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and autoradiography of immunoprecipitated receptor protein, and fluorescence-activated cell-sorter scanner (FACS) analysis using the anti-endothelial protein C receptor antibody RCR-252. Neither protein C nor activated protein C induced migration, yet both of them inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis triggered by interleukin-8, formyl-Met-Leu-Phe, antithrombin, or C5a. A protein C activation-blocking antibody against endothelial protein C receptor diminished inhibitory effects of protein C or activated protein C on migration. No effect of either protein C preparation was seen in neutrophil's respiratory burst, bacterial phagocytosis, or apoptosis assays. Endothelial protein C receptor immunoreactivity was confirmed on neutrophils by FACS. De novo synthesis is suggested by endothelial protein C receptor mRNA expression as demonstrated by reverse transcriptase PCR and immunoprecipitation SDS-PAGE analyses. Data suggest that an endothelial protein C receptor is expressed by human neutrophils whose active site ligation with either protein C or activated protein C arrests directed cell migration. Inhibitory effects of these components of the protein C pathway on neutrophil function may play a role in the protein C-based treatment of severe sepsis.
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PMID:Expression and function of the endothelial protein C receptor in human neutrophils. 1271 92

Decreased circulating protein C and increased circulating thrombomodulin are markers of the prothrombotic, antifibrinolytic state associated with poor outcomes in sepsis but have not been measured in patients with ALI (acute lung injury)/ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome). We measured circulating and intra-alveolar protein C and thrombomodulin in 45 patients with ALI/ARDS from septic and nonseptic causes and correlated the levels with clinical outcomes. Plasma protein C levels were lower in ALI/ARDS compared with normal. Lower levels of protein C were associated with worse clinical outcomes, including death, fewer ventilator-free days, and more nonpulmonary organ failures, even when only patients without sepsis were analyzed. Levels of thrombomodulin in pulmonary edema fluid from ALI/ARDS patients were >10-fold higher than normal plasma and 2-fold higher than ALI/ARDS plasma. Higher edema fluid thrombomodulin levels were associated with worse clinical outcomes. The higher levels in edema fluid compared with plasma suggest local release of soluble thrombomodulin in the lung, possibly from a lung epithelial source. To determine whether lung epithelial cells can release thrombomodulin, A549 cells and primary isolates of human alveolar type II cells were exposed to H2O2 or inflammatory cytokines. Both epithelial cell types released thrombomodulin into the media. In summary, the protein C system is markedly disrupted in patients with ALI/ARDS from both septic and nonseptic causes. The protein C system may be a potential therapeutic target in patients with ALI/ARDS.
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PMID:Protein C and thrombomodulin in human acute lung injury. 1275 94

The protein C anticoagulant pathway is critical for controlling microvascular thrombosis and is initiated when thrombin binds to thrombomodulin (TM) on the surface of the endothelium. Protein C activation is augmented by an endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR). EPCR is shed from the vasculature by inflammatory mediators and thrombin. EPCR binds to activated neutrophils in a process that involves proteinase 3 and Mac-1 and appears to inhibit leukocyte extravasation. EPCR can undergo translocation from the plasma membrane to the nucleus where it re-directs gene expression. During translocation, EPCR can carry activated protein C (APC) to the nucleus, possibly accounting for the ability of APC to modulate inflammatory mediator responses in the endothelium. TNF-alpha and other inflammatory mediators can down-regulate EPCR and TM. Inhibition of protein C pathway function increases cytokine elaboration, endothelial cell injury and leukocyte extravasation in response to endotoxin and infusion of APC reverses these processes. In vitro, APC has been reported to inhibit TNF-alpha elaboration from monocytes and to block leukocyte adhesion to selectins. Since thrombin can elicit many inflammatory responses in microvascular endothelium, loss of control of microvascular thrombin generation due to impaired protein C pathway function probably contributes to microvascular dysfunction in sepsis.
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PMID:Coagulation and inflammation. 1283 62

This review describes disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) as a syndrome in which hemostatic factors are activated. The syndrome ranges in severity from a decompensated coagulopathy (overt-DIC) to the subclinical compensated activation of hemostatic factors (nonovert DIC). The first part of this review emphasizes two points. First, activation of the hemostatic system is controlled by a vast network of capillaries and venules through anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory regulatory factors that operate from the endothelium (e.g., protein C and thrombomodulin, tissue factor pathway inhibitor). These hemostatic regulators can be overridden by procoagulant disorders such as amniotic fluid embolism or degraded by proinflammatory disorders such as sepsis. Second, because this link between the microvascular endothelium and circulating hemostatic factors is so close, even a relatively mild disturbance of the microvasculature targeted by the inflammatory process may be reflected systemically by changes in molecular biomarkers of hemostatic activity. Therefore, application of criteria for the diagnosis of nonovert DIC should be of value in detecting a compensated response to inflammatory stress of the microvasculature in patients who are at risk before they develop an uncompensated over DIC response and organ failure. The second part of this review covers the recent experience investigators have had in diagnosing and following the response of patients to treatment with biomarkers.
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PMID:The diagnosis and management of disseminated intravascular coagulation. 1290 Nov 23

Expression of functionally active thrombomodulin (TM) on the luminal surface of endothelial cells is critical for vascular thromboresistance. TM maintains thrombohemorrhagic homeostasis by forming a complex with thrombin, which subsequently loses its procoagulant properties and instead activates protein C. Acquired deficiency of endothelial TM is of particular pathophysiological significance in sepsis and related disorders. We show here that two different 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins), atorvastatin and simvastatin, strongly increase the expression and functional activity of TM in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, human coronary artery endothelial cells, and EA.hy926 endothelial cells. The increase in endothelial TM conferred by statin was prevented by the addition of mevalonic acid, geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate, and nitric oxide scavenger, and was mimicked by the addition of a specific inhibitor of geranylgeranyl transferase, as well as by nitric oxide donors. Moreover, statin counteracted tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced downregulation of endothelial cell TM. The increase in endothelial cell TM activity in response to statin constitutes a novel pleiotropic (non-lipid-related) effect of these commonly used compounds, and may be of clinical significance in disorders where deficient endothelial TM and protein C activation play a pathophysiological role.
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PMID:Statins increase thrombomodulin expression and function in human endothelial cells by a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism and counteract tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced thrombomodulin downregulation. 1296 Jun 12

The protein C anticoagulant pathway serves as a major system for controlling thrombosis, limiting inflammatory responses, and potentially decreasing endothelial cell apoptosis in response to inflammatory cytokines and ischemia. The essential components of the pathway involve thrombin, thrombomodulin, the endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR), protein C, and protein S. Thrombomodulin binds thrombin, directly inhibiting its clotting and cell activation potential while at the same time augmenting protein C (and thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor [TAFI]) activation. Furthermore, thrombin bound to thrombomodulin is inactivated by plasma protease inhibitors > 20 times faster than free thrombin, resulting in increased clearance of thrombin from the circulation. The inhibited thrombin rapidly dissociates from thrombomodulin, regenerating the anticoagulant surface. Thrombomodulin also has direct anti-inflammatory activity, minimizing cytokine formation in the endothelium and decreasing leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion. EPCR augments protein C activation approximately 20-fold in vivo by binding protein C and presenting it to the thrombin-thrombomodulin activation complex. Activated protein C (APC) retains its ability to bind EPCR, and this complex appears to be involved in some of the cellular signaling mechanisms that down-regulate inflammatory cytokine formation (tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-6). Once APC dissociates from EPCR, it binds to protein S on appropriate cell surfaces where it inactivates factors Va and VIIIa, thereby inhibiting further thrombin generation. Clinical studies reveal that deficiencies of protein C lead to microvascular thrombosis (purpura fulminans). During severe sepsis, a combination of protein C consumption, protein S inactivation, and reduction in activity of the activation complex by oxidation, cytokine-mediated down-regulation, and proteolytic release of the activation components sets in motion conditions that would favor an acquired defect in the protein C pathway, which in turn favors microvascular thrombosis, increased leukocyte adhesion, and increased cytokine formation. APC has been shown clinically to protect patients with severe sepsis. Protein C and thrombomodulin are in early stage clinical trials for this disease, and each has distinct potential advantages and disadvantages relative to APC.
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PMID:The protein C pathway. 1297 Jan 21

Activated protein C (APC) generation strongly affects sepsis and thrombosis by inhibition of thrombin generation. However, it is unclear if there are age-related differences in effectiveness of protein C (PC). We studied age effects on plasma APC generation +/- endothelium. Defibrinated (Ancrod) plasma (from adults or newborns (umbilical cord)) was recalcified with buffer containing tissue factor +/- thrombomodulin (TM) on either plastic or endothelium (HUVEC) at 37 degrees C. Timed subsamples of reaction mixture were taken into either heparin-EDTA or FFRCMK-EDTA solutions and analyzed for APC-PC inhibitor (APC-PCI) or APC-alpha1 antitrypsin (APC-alpha1 AT) by ELISAs. Since heparin converts free APC to APC-PCI, the difference in APC-PCI measured in heparin-EDTA and FFRCMK-EDTA samples was equal to free active APC. APC-alpha2 macroglobulin (APC-alpha2M) was measured as remaining chromogenic activity in heparin-EDTA. Free APC, APC-PCI and APC-alpha1 AT were decreased in newborn compared to adult plasma on plastic. However, APC-alpha2M made up a larger fraction of inhibitor complexes in new-born plasma. On endothelium, significantly more APC, APC-PCI and APC-alpha1AT were generated in either plasma compared to that on plastic with excess added TM. APC, APC-PCI and APC-alpha1AT were also reduced and total APC-alpha2M increased in newborn plasma on HUVEC. Addition of PC to newborn plasma gave APC generation similar to adult plasma. Thus, free APC, APC-PCI and APC-alpha1AT generation is reduced in newborn compared to adult plasma with or without endothelium, likely due to reduced plasma PC levels. Endothelium enhances APC generation, regardless of plasma type, possibly because of cell surface factors such as TM, phospholipid and endothelial PC receptor.
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PMID:Activated protein C generation is greatly decreased in plasma from newborns compared to adults in the presence or absence of endothelium. 1496 Nov 49

Activated protein C (APC), a natural anticoagulant, is formed from protein C by the action of the thrombin-thrombomodulin (TM) complex on the endothelial cell surface. Endothelial protein C receptor augments the activation of protein C by the thrombin/TM system. APC inactivates the activated form of coagulation factors V and VIII in the presence of protein S. Administration of APC reduced the pulmonary vascular injury and hypotension as well as the coagulation abnormalities by inhibiting production of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in rats given endotoxin (ET). These therapeutic effects of APC could not be attributed to its anticoagulant effects. APC inhibited ET-induced TNF-alpha production in human monocytes by inhibiting activation of nuclear factor K-B and activator protein-1 in vitro. Administration of the human plasma-derived APC ameliorated coagulation abnormalities without any adverse effects in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Recombinant APC was reported to reduce the mortality of patients with severe sepsis, and the therapeutic effect was more marked in such patients with overt DIC than those without it. These observations strongly suggest that APC plays important roles in the regulation of inflammation as well as coagulation. Both anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties of APC might contribute to the therapeutic usefulness in patients with severe sepsis.
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PMID:Regulation of inflammatory responses by activated protein C: the molecular mechanism(s) and therapeutic implications. 1506 50

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