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 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, Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 12:193-199 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.