PLASMA THROMBOMODULIN - NEW APPROACH OF ENDOTHELIUM DAMAGE

Endothelium damage is associated with thrombotic risk in a variety of diseases including atherosclerosis, gram negative sepsis, viral infect ions and neoplastic disease. Therefore, it appears necessary to find a mean for the clinical investigation for such a damage. Among the mark ers of these cells, thrombomodulin which is a membrane glycoprotein, s eems to be of a great interest for this purpose. Actually, thrombomodu lin is also found in plasma, following an endothelial lesion. Plasma l evels of thrombomodulin are increased in a certain number of pathologi es associated with endothelium lesion: atheromatous arterial disease, disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome and also in systemic l upus erythematosus where the levels of plasma thrombomodulin are relat ed to the severity of the pathology. Moreover, previous in vitro studi es confirm the fact that the release of thrombomodulin from the endoth elial cell membrane occurs during the course of injury by activated le ukocytes or hydrogen peroxide. So, one can suppose a prospective inter est in the measurement of plasma thrombomodulin as a diagnostic tool f or the approach of endothelium damage.