Activated protein C and inflammation in human myocardium after heart surgery

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Abstract
To assess possible interactions between inflammation and activation of the anticoagulant protein C system during post‐ischemic reperfusion protein C, APC, neutrophil L‐selectin expression and myocardial myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) were measured in 19 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. After reperfusion for 10 min, APC to protein C ratio (APC/PC) increased from pre‐reperfusion value 1.43 ± 0.12 (mean ± SEM) to 2.25 ± 0.29, p = 0.015. Negative correlations were observed between APC/PC and MPO activity (Spearman r −0.64, p = 0.007) and APC/PC and neutrophil L‐selectin expression (r = −0.7, p = 0.007, demonstrating that post‐ishemic protein C activation was associated with decreased neutrophil tissue sequestration. Thus, physiological protein C activation may be involved in regulation of the inflammatory injury during reperfusion of human ischemic coronary circulation. Am. J. Hematol. 67:210–212, 2001.
Funding Information
  • Sigrid Juselius Foundation
  • Paulo Foundation
  • Finnish Cultural Foundation
  • Clinical Research Institute of Helsinki University Central Hospital
  • Stein Endowment Fund
  • National Institutes of Health (R37HL52246, R01HL 21544)