Inter Alpha-Globulin Inhibitor H4 (ITIH4)

ITIH4 is secreted into the blood, where it is cleaved by plasma kallikrein into two smaller forms. Expression of this gene has been detected only in liver, and it seems to be upregulated during surgical trauma. This gene is part of a cluster of similar genes on chromosome 3. Two transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.The inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitors (ITI) are a family of structurally related plasma serine protease inhibitors involved in extracellular matrix stabilization and in prevention of tumor metastasis. The ITI family contains multiple proteins made up of a light chain and a variable number of heavy chains.