Haem 7 - Haemostasis Flashcards
What is haemostasis
Cellular and biochemical processes that enable both specific and regulated cessation of bleeding in response to vascular insult
What is haemostasis for
Prevent blood loss from intact and injured vessels, enable tissue repair
What may tip the haemostatic balance towards bleeding
Increased fibrinolytic factors or anticoagulant proteins
What may tips the balance towards the thrombotic side
Increased coagulant factors, platelets
Haemostatic plug formation occurs in response to injury to endothelial cell lining
- Vessel constriction - VSMC contract locally —> limits blood flow to injured vessel
- Formation of unstable platelet plug - platelet adhesion + platelet aggregation —> limits blood loss + provides surface for coagulation
- Stabilisation of plug with fibrin - blood coagulation –> stops blood loss
- Vessel repair and clot dissolution - cell migration/proliferation and fibrinolysis –> restores vessel integrity
On vessel wall, the endothelial cell is (by definition) anticoagulant - e.g. EPCR. The Layers under the endothelial cell are procoagulant.
Y
Subendothelium = procoagulant - basement membrane contains elastin, collagen.
VSMC and fibroblasts also present, alongside Tissue factor (TF)
Describe platelets
- Small (2-4 um)
- Anuclear
- Lifespan = 10 daysish
- Platelet count = 150-350 x10^9/l
All platelets in our blood are derived from?
Megakaryocytes (4000 can be derived from just one MK)
Haematopoietic stem cell –> promegakaryocyte –> megakaryocytic —> platelet
What are the various roles that platelets have
- Haemostasis and thrombosis
- Cancer
- Atherosclerosis
- Infection
- Inflammation
Explain how VWF is involved in haemostasis (platelet adhesion)
- Multimeric VWF circulates in plasma in globular conformation. Platelet binding site hidden from GP1B on platelet
- Vascular injury - damages endothelium and exposes sub-endothelial collagen
- Various collagen binding sites that are exposed bind globular VWF
- VWF recruited and undergoes structural transformation - unravelled in response to shear forces of flowing blood
- VWF binds to GP1B of platelet - recruits platelets to site of vessel damage
- IF LOW SHEAR CONDITIONS (i.e. not arteries/capillaries) - platelets can also bind directly to collagen via GPVI and A2B1.
- Platelets activated - further recruit platelets
Explain platelet activation.
- Collagen and thrombin also activate platelets
- Platelets bound to collagen/VWF release ADP and thromboxane - activates/primes platelets
- Activated platelets (a2bB3) recruit additional platelets. a2bB3 also binds fibrinogen. Platelet plug develops. This helps slow bleeding and provides surface for coagulation
4.
Upon adhesion, activation and aggregation, how does the platelet change?
It starts to spread (once it has become a spreading platelet then irreversible adhesion - but the stage before (hemisphere shaped platelet) is reversible adhesion)
What is the most common inherited bleeding disorder
VWD
Causes ineffective platelet recruitment as lack/dysfunctional VWF
What platelet disorders may contribute to abnormal haemostasis
Low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) or improperly behaving platelets
Tethered VWF may also get unravelled by shear forces of flowing blood
What is the key role of thrombin
To cleave fibrinogen into fibrin