Potential Indicators of Activity of Systemic Sclerosis. CoagulationFactors, Indicators of Endothelial Damage, Vasoregulatory and Growth Factors and ConnectiveTissue Metabolism

Overview

The authors submit a review on contemporary knowledge on potential candidates for markers ofactivity of systemic scleroderma. The submitted part I is focused on assessment of circulating levelsof coagulation factors, markers of endothelial damage, vasoregulatory and growth factors andconnective tissue components, their enzymes and inhibitors in different body fluids. A s to coagula -tion factors most knowledge has been assembled on the antigen of von Willebrand’s factor, plasminogen and thrombomodulin. As to vasoregulatory factors the greatest attention is still focused onchanges of endothelin and recently nitric oxide. Propeptides of procollagen, posttranslation enzymes and proteinase inhibitors are most intensely studied markers of changes of connective tissuemetabolism.

Key words:
systemic sclerosis, indicators of activity, coagulation factors, endothelin, co llagen