Expression of factor VII in the liver of patients with liver disease: correlations with the disease severity and impairment in the hemostasis

Factor VII (FVII) plasma levels in patients with liver disease may be below the normal range. However, no data are available on MI expression in liver biopsies from patients with liver diseases other than cirrhosis. We have a nalyzed the expression of FVII by in situ hybridization in liver biopsies f rom 50 patients in comparison with the procoagulant activity of FVII, and w ith the plasma levels as activated FVII (FVIIa) and FVII antigen. The level of FVIIa was significantly lower in stage 4 liver fibrosis patients than i n the remaining ones (P<0.05). The percentage of hepatocytes expressing FVI I was significantly lower in stage 4 liver fibrosis patients (4.1 +/- 1.3%) than in stage 3 (22.7 +/- 6.1%), stage 2 (31.5 +/- 6.1%), stage 1 (43.7 +/ - 8.2%) and stage 0 patients (63.8 +/- 4.4%) (P< 0.001). These percentages correlated inversely in a statistically significant way with the histologic al activity index and the liver function tests. We have demonstrated that t he FVIIa plasma levels in patients with chronic liver disease other than ci rrhosis may be below the normal range in the absence of blood coagulation i mpairment. The percentage of hepatocytes expressing FVII decreases as the s everity of liver damage increases, Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 12:193-199 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.