Haem 7 - Haemostasis Flashcards
Define haemostasis
The cellular and biochemical processes that enables both the specific and regulated cessation of bleeding in response to vascular insult
What is haemostasis for?
1) To prevent blood loss from intact and injured vessels
2) enable tissue repair
Describe normal haemostasis in terms of the balance between bleeding and thrombosis
See diagram - delicate balance
Bleeding - Increase in fibrinolytic factors + anticoagulant proteins. Decrease in coagulant factors + platlets
Thrombosis - Opposite.
Describe the outline of haemostatic plug formation
See diagram
1) Vessel constriction
2) Formation of an unstable platelet plug
3) Stabilisation of the plug with fibrin
4) Vessel repair and dissolution of clot
Describe the stage of vessel constriction
Vascular smooth muscle cells contract locally
Limits blood flow to injured vessel
- Mainly important in small blood vessels
- Local contractile response to injury
Describe the formation of an unstable platelet plug
platelet adhesion
platelet aggregation
Limits blood loss + provides surface for coagulation
Describe the stabilisation of the plug with fibrin
blood coagulation
Stops blood loss
Describe vessel repair and dissolution of clot
Cell migration/proliferation & fibrinolysis
Restores vessel integrity
What can the endothelial cell layer of a normal vessel wall be thought of as?
An anticoagulant - allow the blood to flow over that surface and irrigate the surface without clotting
What can the subendothelial layer of a normal vessel wall be thought of as?
A procoagulant: Basement membrane Elastin, collagen VSMC (vascular smooth muscle cells) - TF Fibroblasts - TF
Tissue factor - primary initiator of the coagulation cascade. Lies on on VSMC and fibroblasts
Describe platelets
Small (2-4µm)
Anuclear
Life span: ~10 days
Platelet count: 150-350 x 10^9/L
All platelets are derived from megakaryocytes
Describe megakaryocytes
Each megakaryocyte produces 4000 platelets
A megakarycyte when mature has finger like extensions into blood vessels where proplatelets bleb off.
Describe the ultrasound features of a platelet?
It has NOT got a nucleus but it is still a pretty active cell
The storage granules include granules containing ADP (which is very important for platelet function)
They have another type of storage granule called alpha granules
These are storage granules for proteins including Factor V and von Willebrand factor
When the platelet becomes activated, these factors are released
There are important glycoprotein receptors on the platelet surface which interact in the formation of a platelet plug
There are other receptors on the surface including a receptor for thrombin
See diagram/laz’s notes you don’t really need to know this that well.
Describe globular VWF?
Multimeric VWF circulates in plasma in a globular conformation. Binding sites are “hidden” from platelet Gp1b. In this globular form it will not interact with platelets
Think of it as a ball of string
Describe the change from globular VWF to tethered unravelled VWF
During vascular injury damage it exposes sub-endothelial collagen. The globular VWF then binds to the collagen before unravelling by rheological shear forces of flowing blood. Being unravelled all the platelet binding sites are then revealed allowing binding to occur. The Gp1b glycoprotein ensures the platelet binds.
Aside from the platelets binding to the VWF where else can they bind?
Platelets can also bind directly to collagen (and other matrix proteins) via GP1a and alpha2beta1 only at low shear forces (so not arteries or capillaries)