Increased Levels of Thrombin-activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor

Stopping Blood Clot Breakdown

Increased levels of thrombin are needed for clot formation and to prevent clot breakdown. If thrombin levels are too high, they activate thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI).

Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor helps to stop clot breakdown by preventing plasminogen from binding to the fibrin clot.

Increased levels of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor may prevent the start of normal clot breakdown and therefore could theoretically increase the tendency for a super-clotting state. The Leiden Thrombophilia Study suggests that high levels of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor may be a mild risk factor for a super-clotting state. However, these results require confirmation.