Summary
Human coagulation factor V (FV) is an essential coagulation protein with functions
in both the pro- and anticoagulant pathways. Failure to express and control FV functions
can either lead to bleeding, or to thromboembolic disease. Both events may develop
into a life-threatening condition. Since the first description of APC resistance,
and in particular the description of the so-called factor VLeiden mutation, in which a prominent activated protein C cleavage site in FV has been abolished
through a mutation in the FV gene, FV has been in the center of attention of thrombosis
research. In this review we describe how the functions of FV are expressed and regulated
and provide an extensive description of the role that FV plays in the etiology of
thromboembolic disease.
Keywords
Factor V - coagulation - thrombosis - thrombophilia - protein C pathway