Procoagulant activity in bronchoalveolar fluids: No relationship with tissue factor pathway inhibitor activity

Abstract Abnormalities in local coagulation may explain alveolar fibrin deposition which often accompanies human lunginjuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the generation of procoagulant activity (PCA) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor(TFPI) in selected bronchoalveolar lavagefluids (BAL) from controls (n=7) and from patients with interstitial lung diseases(n=9), Pneumocystis carinii (PCP) pneumonia (n=11) and bacterial pneumonia(n=8). As compared with controls a significant increase of PCA was observed in the three groups with lung diseases. PCA in BAL from patients with untreated interstitial lung diseases(PC Units mean of 162 ± 48) was significantly higher than PCA of treated patients (PC Units 36 ± 10; p