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

• Published in: Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 193 - 199
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Iñigo, E, Bartolomé, J, Quiroga, J A, Hedner, U, Suárez, A, Tomás, J F, Manzarbeitia, F, Arocena, C, Manzano, M L, Oliva, H, Carreño, V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 01-04-2001; The Scientist
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Coagulation Factors - analysis; Chronic Disease; Factor VII - biosynthesis; Factor VII - genetics; Fatty Liver - metabolism; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gene Expression Regulation; Hemorrhagic Disorders - etiology; Hepatitis B - metabolism; Hepatitis C - metabolism; Hepatocytes - metabolism; Humans; In Situ Hybridization; Liver - metabolism; Liver Cirrhosis - metabolism; Liver Diseases - metabolism; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Other diseases. Semiology; Prothrombin Time; Severity of Illness Index; Human; Molecular hybridization; Pathophysiology; Liver; In situ; Fluorescence; Biological marker; Exploration; Hepatic disease; Gene expression; Blood plasma; Factor VII; Biopsy; Hemostasis; Digestive diseases; Genetics; Severity score; Molecular biology
• ISSN: 0957-5235; 1473-5733
• DOI: 10.1097/00001721-200104000-00005

Factor VII (FVII) plasma levels in patients with liver disease may be below the normal range. However, no data are available on FVII expression in liver biopsies from patients with liver diseases other than cirrhosis. We have analyzed the expression of FVII by in situ hybridization in liver biopsies from 50 patients in comparison with the procoagulant activity of FVII, and with the plasma levels as activated FVII (FVIIa) and FVII antigen. The level of FVIIa was significantly lower in stage 4 liver fibrosis patients than in the remaining ones (P < 0.05). The percentage of hepatocytes expressing FVII 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 histological activity index and the liver function tests. We have demonstrated that the FVIIa plasma levels in patients with chronic liver disease other than cirrhosis may be below the normal range in the absence of blood coagulation impairment. The percentage of hepatocytes expressing FVII decreases as the severity of liver damage increases.