Endotheliopathy in septic conditions: mechanistic insight into intravascular coagulation

Endothelial cells play a key role in maintaining intravascular patency through their anticoagulant properties. They provide a favorable environment for plasma anticoagulant proteins, including antithrombin, tissue factor pathway inhibitor, and protein C. Under septic conditions, however, the anticoagulant properties of endothelial cells are compromised. Rather, activated/injured endothelial cells can provide a scaffold for intravascular coagulation. For example, the expression of tissue factor, an important initiator of the coagulation pathway, is induced on the surface of activated endothelial cells. Phosphatidylserine, a high-affinity scaffold for gamma-carboxyglutamate domain containing coagulation factors, including FII, FVII, FIX, and FX, is externalized to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane of injured endothelial cells. Hemodilution decreases not only coagulation factors but also plasma anticoagulant proteins, resulting in unleashed activation of coagulation on the surface of activated/injured endothelial cells. The aberrant activation of coagulation can be suppressed in part by the supplementation of recombinant antithrombin and recombinant thrombomodulin. This review aims to overview the physiological and pathological functions of endothelial cells along with proof-of-concept in vitro studies. The pathophysiology of COVID-19-associated thrombosis is also discussed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-021-03524-6.