REDUCTION OF SALIVARY TISSUE FACTOR (THROMBOPLASTIN) ACTIVITY BY WARFARIN THERAPY

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 53  (3) , 366-374
Abstract
The coagulant of normal human saliva was identified as tissue factor (thromoboplastin, TF) by virtue of its ability to cause rapid coagulation in plasmas deficient in 1st-stage coagulation factors and to activate factor X in the presence of factor VII and by virtue of the fact that its activity is expressed only in the presence of factor VII and is inhibited by an antibody to TF. The TF is related to cells and cell fragments in saliva. Salivary TF activity was significantly reduced in patients taking warfarin. The decline in TF activity during induction of warfarin anticoagulation occurred during the warfarin-induced decline in vitamin-K-dependent clotting factor activity, as judged by the prothrombin time. The decrease in TF activity was not related to a reduction in salivary cell count or total protein content or to a direct effect of warfarin on the assay. The mechanism by which warfarin inhibits TF activity may be related to the mechanism by which it inhibits expression of the activity of the vitamin-K-dependent clotting factors. Inhibition of TF activity may be involved in the antithrombotic effect of warfarin.

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