Case 06 - Clotting Disorders Flashcards
In a normal blood vessel, how is thrombus formation prevented?
- Endothelial cells release nitric oxide, endothelin + prostacyclin
- Endothelin (vasoconstrictor) and nitric oxide (vasodilator) work together to control blood flow
- Prostacyclin inhibits platelet activation + is also a potent vasodilator
Most immediate protection against blood loss
Vasoconstriction (caused by injury to endothelial SMCs)
How is vasoconstriction prolonged?
- Activated platelets release thromboxane A2 (TXA2), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and serotonin, all of which cause vasoconstriction
- TXA2 also activates more platelets
- ADP also promotes platelet aggregation by causing platelets to swell
Platelets
(1) Produced in
(2) Fragment of
(3) Die if damaged bc
(4) When levels are low, production stimulated by
(5) Take X amount of time to be produced
(6) Lifespan
(7) Number of time can donate in a year
(1) Bone marrow
(2) Megakaryocytes
(3) Have no nucleus
(4) Thrombopoietin (TPO) - Produced mainly in liver, some in kidneys
(5) 7 days
(6) 8-9 days
(7) 24
Constituents of blood and their proportions
- Plasma, 55% of whole blood
- Erythrocytes, 45% of whole blood
- Buffy coat (leukocytes + platelets), <1% of whole blood
What activates platelets?
- Adhesion to exposed collagen
- TXA2 + ADP released by already activated platelets
- Thrombin
How do activated platelets differ from resting platelets?
Activated platelets
- Change shape (swell)
- Express adhesion molecules, such as GPIIb/IIIa (for adhesion to collagen and/or other platelets)
- Develop pseudopodia (to come into contact with other platelets)
- Degranulate (release TXA2, ADP, serotonin, calcium)
vWF
(1) What it stands for
(2) What it is/does
(3) Produced by
(1) von Willebrand factor
(2) Interlinking molecule needed by some glycoproteins (e.g. GPIIb/IIIa + GPIb, not GPIa) for platelet-collagen adhesion. Stabilises FVIII, preventing it from being broken down prematurely.
(3) Synthesised by endothelial cells + megakaryocytes
Difference between GPIIb/IIIa + GPIb
With the help of vWF, GPIb binds platelets to exposed collagen, activating them. Only then do platelets express GP IIb/IIIa, which can be used in platelet-collagen or platelet-platelet adhesion (aggregation).
3 main stages of haemostasis
- Vasoconstriction
- Platelet plug formation
- Coagulation pathway (how coagulation factors work to form a stable fibrin clot)
(1) 3 main stages of the coagulation pathway
(2) Subsections of the coagulation pathways
(1) Initiation, amplification + propagation
(2) Intrinsic, extrinsic + contact pathways
Coagulation phase
(1) Coagulation initiated by contact pathway + extrinsic pathway
(1a) Contact pathway: Exposure to collagen (also pre-kallikrein -PK, or high molecular weight kininogen - HK) activates FXII (FXIIa). FXIIa activates FXI (FXIa). FXIa activates FIX (FIXa).
(1b) Extrinsic pathway (initiation): Sub-endothelial TF comes into contact with circulating FVII, activating it (FVIIa). TF-FVIIa complex binds to FX, forming the extrinsic tenase complex. This activates some FX (FXa) and some FIX (FIXa). FXa is not yet associated with its co-factor FVa, so can only convert a small amount of prothrombin to thrombin.
(2a) Intrinsic pathway (amplification): In addition to platelets, trace thrombin activates factors V, VII, VIII, XI and XIII. FVa is a co-factor for FXa, and FVIIIa is a co-factor for FIXa.
(2b) Intrinsic pathway (propagation): Together, FIXa and its co-factor FVIIIa form the intrinsic tenase complex, which can activate much more FX (FXa) than the extrinsic tenase complex in the extrinsic pathway. In turn, FXa and its cofactor FVa form the prothrombinase complex, which can convert much more prothrombin to thrombin than FXa alone could. This occurs at the surface of the platelet plug and results in large-scale thrombin production. Thrombin converts fibrinogen to fibrin, which enmeshes + strengthens the platelet plug.
(3) FXIIIa stabilises the fibrin clot by cross-linking fibrin strands. A stabilised fibrin clot can only be broken down by the process of fibrinolysis.
How does a platelet plug differ from a stable fibrin clot functionally
If squeeze a finger that has been pricked, in which only a platelet plug has formed, will resume bleeding. Once a fibrin clot has formed, will not resume bleeding as easily.
Coagulation inhibitors (natural anticoagulants) are necessary to ensure coagulation process doesn’t spiral uncontrollably, name some
- Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor (TFPA)
- Antithrombin III (ATIII)
- Proteins C + S
TFPI
(1) What stands for
(2) What it is
(3) What it does
(4) Where it comes from
(1) Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor
(2) First coagulation inhibitor to act
(3) Inhibits FVIIa + FXa
(4) Released by activated platelets during initiation
Antithrombin III (ATIII)
(1) What it is
(2) What it does
(3) Where it comes from
(1) Main coagulation inhibitor
(2) Forms complexes with coagulation factors to inactivate them; IIa (thrombin), VIIa, IXa, Xa and XIa
(3) Produced in the liver + endothelial cells
Protein C and protein S
(1) What it is
(2) What it does
(3) Where it comes from
(1) Coagulation inhibitors
(2) Protein C inactivates co-factors Va + VIIIa, protein S enhances the actions of protein C
(3) Produced in the liver
Fibrinogen
FI
Fibrin
FIa
Prothrombin
FII
Thrombin
FIIa
Tissue factor (TF)
FIII
Tenase complexes
(1) Extrinsic tenase complex
(2) Intrinsic tease complex
(1) FVIIa + TF (FIII), activates FX (FXa)
(2) FIXa + FVIIIa, activates FX (FXa)
Tenase refers to the fact that both complexes activate FX (FXa), one in the extrinsic pathway, the other in the intrinsic pathway
Trace thrombin activates
- Platelets (potent platelet activator)
- Factors V, VII, VIII, XI, XIII
Main initiator of the coagulation process
TF (FIII)
Needed in almost every stage of the coagulation process
Calcium
Coagulation factors are produced in the liver, but can also be found
In the granules of platelets
Fibrinolysis is necessary for stable fibrin clots to be broken down once the damaged endothelium is repaired. What does it involve?
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) activates plasminogen to plasmin, which in turn degrades fibrin (insoluble) into soluble fibrin degradation products (FDPs)
What is D-dimer?
- Type of fibrin degradation product (FDP)
- High serum levels of D-dimer (positive D-dimer test) indicates thrombosis, but could also be due to other causes
- In contrast, a negative D-diner test excludes thromboembolic disease (where the probability is low)
FXIa does what
Activates FIX (FIXa)
FIXa does what
Alongside co-factor VIIIa, activates a lot of FX (FXa)
FX does what
On its own, converts some prothrombin (FII) to thrombin (FIIa), more if associated to its co-factor Va
FVIIIa does what
Co-factor for FIXa
FVIIa does what
Forms a complex with TF (FIII) to activate FX (FXa) + some FIX (FIXa)
Factor Va does what
Co-factor for FXa
FIII does what
TF, activates FVII (FVIIa)
FIIa does what
Thrombin, converts fibrinogen (FI) to fibrin (FIa)
Also activates:
- Platelets (potent platelet activator)
- Factors V, VII, VIII, XI, XIII