TFPI and atherosclerosis: In fact, patients with atherosclerosis may present a protrombotic state characterized by an imbalance in the thrombotic-fibrinolytic equilibrium with abnormal plasma levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF)[8], tissue factor or tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI)[9-11], plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)[12-15] and fibrinogen [14,16].