The role of factor XIII in patient blood management.

Abstract

Factor XIII (FXIII), a plasma transglutaminase, is a coagulation factor that plays a crucial role in blood clotting and patient blood management. The studies have demonstrated that FXIII targets a wide range of additional substrates that have an important role in hemostasis, especially in posttraumatic patients, patients undergoing surgery or obstetrics, being involved in wound healing and tissue repair. Morover, FXIII deficiency has also been described and an extensive research has shown that FXIII deficiency is a rare coagulopathy that leads to longer bleeding time, perioperative and postoperative complications and slower wound healing. Present article aims to overview the diverse functions of FXIII and to highlight its role in patient blood management.