Tissue factor procoagulant activity in the tumor cell lines and plasma of dogs with various malignant tumors

Hypercoagulability is a common paraneoplastic complication in dogs with various malignant tumors. Importantly, tissue factor procoagulant activity (TF-PCA) induced by TF-bearing microparticles (TF-MPs) is associated with hypercoagulability in human patients with cancer. However, TF-PCA in tumor cells and the association between circulating TF-MPs and hypercoagulability in dogs with malignant tumors remain poorly understood. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the TF-PCA in various types of canine tumor cell lines and plasma in dogs with malignant tumors. Mammary gland tumor, hemangiosarcoma, and malignant melanoma cell lines, but not lymphoma cell lines, expressed TF on their surfaces and showed cellular surface and MP-associated TF-PCA. The plasma TF-PCA was elevated in some dogs that naturally developed such tumors. No significant difference was observed in plasma TF-PCA between the disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) group (median: 43.40; range: 3.47–85.19; n=5) and non-DIC group (median: 7.73; range: 1.70–16.13; n=12). However, plasma TF-PCA was remarkably elevated in three of five dogs with DIC. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate plasma TF-PCA in dogs with malignant tumors. Further studies must be conducted to determine the cellular origin of TF-MPs and the efficacy of plasma TF-PCA as a biomarker of DIC in dogs with malignant tumors.