Contribution of the TF pathway to viral acute lung injury (ALI)-associated thrombosis

Infections with influenza A virus (IAV) like the “Swine flu” are associated with increased thrombotic complications. Normally, lung tissue factor (TF) is important to maintain lung hemostasis (hemostatic TF). However, in different pathologies, there is an increase in the TF expression (pathologic TF). This pathologic TF can contribute to thrombotic complication. Indeed,  together with UNC collaborators we showed that IAV infection leads to increased TF expression in lung epithelial cells (EpC). The increased TF expression was associated with increased coagulation activation (thrombin generation) in the lung. Moreover, thrombin-dependent platelet activation can enhance thrombosis.

We are interested to understand the contribution of TF-dependent coagulation activation and subsequently thrombin-dependent platelet activation via PAR4 to thrombotic complications in pulmonary viral infections like the flu and COVID19.