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Semin Thromb Hemost 2020; 46(02): 183-188
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1702169
Review Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Influence of Tranexamic Acid on Inflammatory Signaling in Trauma

Christopher D. Barrett
1   Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2   Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
,
Yi Wen Kong
1   Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
,
Michael B. Yaffe
1   Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2   Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
› Author Affiliations Funding This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants UM1-HL120877 (M. B. Y.), F32-HL134244 (C. D. B.), and L30-GM120751 (C. D. B.), and by the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (Contract Number W81XWH-16-1-0464 [M. B. Y.]).
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Publication History

Publication Date:
11 March 2020 (online)

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Abstract

Plasmin generation in trauma patients has wide-ranging effects, from breakdown of clots to remodeling the extracellular matrix. An evolving recognition of plasmin as a critical effector molecule in various inflammatory signals and pathways has rendered the study of plasmin(ogen) and its regulation by upstream activators and downstream targets and inhibitors key to understanding the inflammatory responses to trauma. Tranexamic acid, a widely available lysine analogue medication on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines, has rapidly become one of the most commonly implemented adjunct treatments for bleeding after traumatic injury in clinical practice. In this article, we review the effects, both anti- and proinflammatory, of tranexamic acid, with a focus on the injured trauma patient.

Keywords

tranexamic acid - inflammation - trauma - complement - coagulopathy
 

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