The Role of Thrombin and Its Receptors in Angiogenesis. Physiological and Pathological Applications

The original observation by Trousseau (1872), that there is association between thrombosis and cancer growth and metastasis, has been verified subsequently by many investigators. Measuring circulating fibrinopeptides Rickles and Edwards (1983) have shown inappropriately high intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis in patients with cancer. Others have shown that tumor cells interact with platelets, leukocytes and endothelial cells as well as with thrombin — and plasmin — generating systems, all of which influence clot formation (Sloan et al. 1986). In addition some tumors express the transmembrane protein tissue factor, which when exposed to factor VII activates factor X leading to generation of thrombin and fibrin formation (Tapparelli et al., 1993).