THE CATALYTIC ROLE OF ANIONIC PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN THE ACTIVATION OF PROTEIN-C BY FACTOR-XA AND EXPRESSION OF ITS ANTICOAGULANT FUNCTION IN HUMAN PLASMA

Phospholipids bearing a proportion of anionic species such as phosphatidylserine are necessary to promote the anticoagulant potential of the protein C pathway. Factor Xa (200 or 350 pM) was found to activate protein C in a thrombomodulin-independent reaction requiring only phospholipids in Al(OH)3-adsorbed plasma resupplemented with physiological concentrations of protein C (70 nM) and protein S (130 nM). All experiments were performed in the presence of an excess of hirudin. The activity of activated protein C was assessed by the survival of factor Va. The optimal phospholipid concentration range was 5 to 25-mu-M with a proportion of phosphatidylserine of 50% (mol/mol) resulting in a half-life of factor Va of 7.5 min in the absence of protein S and 4.2 min in its presence. Dns-EGR-Xa, an inactive derivative of factor Xa, behaved as an apparent protector of factor Va. When replacing factor Xa, thrombin at 1 0 nM was not an efficient protein C activator in the absence of purified human placenta thrombomodulin. In the presence of 100 pM activated protein C, factor Va half-life was 2 min in the absence of protein S and 1.1 min in its presence in the above optimal phospholipid concentration range. The presence of protein S allowed reduction of phospholipid requirements. Annexin-V (placental anticoagulant protein-I), a potent phospholipid antagonist, fully protected factor Va from degradation by phospholipid-dependent mechanisms. Factor Va was partially protected in the plasma of a patient having experienced thrombosis associated with lupus-like anticoagulant and anti-phospholipid auto-antibodies. These results suggest that factor Xa could act as an alternative activator of protein C when phospholipids bearing a relatively high proportion of phosphatidylserine become exposed. Such anionic species are also necessary for the expression of the anticoagulant function of activated protein C. Hence the assay of the anticoagulant potential of the protein C pathway in Al(OH)3-adsorbed plasma of patients with anti-phospholipid auto-antibodies could be of valuable help in the evaluation of the thrombotic risk.