ROLE OF TISSUE FACTOR IN DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION

We examined plasma antigen levels of tissue factor (TF) in 95 cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), to investigate the role of TF in DIC. A significant elevation of plasma antigen levels of TF was observed in cases of DIC associated with cancer. However, no such significant elevation was observed in cases of DIC associated with acu te promyelocytic leukemia (APL), acute leukemia except APL, blastic cr isis of chronic myelogenous leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), seps is or fulminant hepatitis. No significant elevation of TF was observed in patients without DIC, except 4 cases of cancer who developed DIC t hereafter. Plasma antigen levels of TF were higher in bath cases of DI C with renal failure and chronic renal failure without DIC than its le vels in those without renal failure. Therefore,plasma antigen levels o f TF in DIC patients with renal failure were considered to be carefull y estimated. The levels of TF were decreased with the clinical improve ment in some cases of DIC but were further increased or remained at hi gh levels in patients who showed no improvement of DIC. Thus, plasma a ntigen levels of TF is an important marker to predict the development and/or prognosis of DIC, especially in patients with cancer.