Effect of factor VIII on tissue factor-initiated spatial clot growth

Abstract

Using time-lapse videomicroscopy, we studied the role of coagulation factor VIII (fVIII) in tissue factor-initiated spatial clot growth on fibroblast monolayers in a thin layer of non-stirred recalcified plasma from healthy donors or patients with severe Haemophilia A. Analysis of temporal evolution of light-scattering profiles from a growing clot revealed existence of two phases in the clot growth-initiation phase in a narrow (0.2 mm) zone adjacent to activator surface and elongation phase in plasma volume. While the initiation phase did not differ in normal and haemophilic plasmas, the rate of clot growth in the elongation phase in haemophilic plasma constituted only 30% of that in normal plasma. Supplementation of haemophilic plasma with 0.05 U/ml fVIII restored the normal clot growth rate (44.9 +/- 2.5 microm/min) at high but not at low fibroblast density. Our results indicate that the functioning of the intrinsic tenase complex is critical for normal spatial clot growth.