Thromb Haemost 2013; 110(03): 399-407
DOI: 10.1160/TH13-03-0258
Theme Issue Article
Schattauer GmbH

Plasma kallikrein: the bradykinin-producing enzyme

Jenny Björkqvist
1   Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
2   Center of Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
,
Anne Jämsä
1   Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
2   Center of Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
,
Thomas Renné
1   Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
2   Center of Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
3   Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 02 April 2013

Accepted after minor revision: 04 June 2013

Publication Date:
22 November 2017 (online)

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Summary

Plasma prekallikrein is the liver-derived precursor of the trypsin-like serine protease plasma kallikrein (PK) and circulates in plasma bound to high molecular weight kininogen. The zymogen is converted to PK by activated factor XII. PK drives multiple proteolytic reaction cascades in the cardiovascular system such as the intrinsic pathway of coagulation, the kallikrein-kinin system, the fibrinolytic system, the renin-angiotensin system and the alternative complement pathway. Here, we review the biochemistry and cell biology of PK and focus on recent in vivo studies that have established important functions of the protease in procoagulant and proinflammatory disease states. Targeting PK offers novel strategies not previously appreciated to interfere with thrombosis and vascular inflammation in a broad variety of diseases.

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