Tissue Factor Expressed by Neutrophils: Another Piece in the Vascular Inflammation Puzzle.

The transition from the classic role of neutrophils as the first line of defense of the immune system to that of physiological regulators of intravascular thrombosis took nearly three decades to emerge. This transition needed time to unravel the complex links between the mechanisms that regulate hemostasis and inflammation and the innate immune response, multicellular and multifactorial processes that interact with each other. The present review is focused on the expression of tissue factor by neutrophils, a critical event in their inflammatory and thrombotic function. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.