HAEM: Coagulation Flashcards
What are the main 3 haemostatic responses to tissue injury?
- Vessel constriction
- Platelet aggregation
- Coagulation cascade
What are the functions of the vascular endothelium?
- Synthesis of PGI2, vWF, plasminogen activators, thrombomodulin
- Maintain barrier between blood and procoagulant subendothelial structures
Describe the origin of platelets.
Stem cell precursor (2n) –> nuclear replication –> megakaryocytes (multinucleate) –> maturation with granulation –> leave bone marrow –> enter circulation
How many platelets can one megakaryocyte porduce? What is the life-span of megakaryocytes?
- Each megakaryocyte produces ~4000 platelets.
- Lifespan ~10 days, 1/3 stored in spleen
Where are 1/3 of megakaryocytes stored?
Spleen
Label this diagram of a platelet.
Factors which provides platelets with an increased surface area:
- Open canalicular system
- Microtubules and actomyosin
What are the two methods for platelet adhesion to the endothelium?
Platelets either bind:
- Gp1b with assistance of vWF OR
- Gp1a directly
What factors are important in platelet aggregation and activation?
GpIIb/IIIa –> fibrinogen binding –> platelet aggregation
Arachidonic acid release –cyclooxygenase–> thromboxane A2
What pathway does aspirin acct on?
Acts on cyclo-oxygenase enzyme, irreversibly blocking it
This stops conversion of arachidonic acid to cyclic endoperoxides, especially thromboxane A2 which is a platelet aggregator
What are the functions of thrombin?
- Cleaves Fibrinogen
- Activates Platelets
- Activates procofactors (FV and FVIII)
- Activates zymogens (FVII, FXI and FXIII)
What is the function of the prothrombinase complex? What does the prothrombinase complex consist of?
To allow efficient production of activated thrombin
FXa and FVa assembled on negatively charged phospholipid membranes in the presence of calcium ions
What factor is thrombin?
IIa
II is an inactive zymogen which the prothrombinase complex converts into IIa , an active protein aka thrombin
Which two pathways activate factor X which is a component of the prothrombinase complex?
Extrinsic pathway - FVIIa-TF complex
Intrinsic tenase - FVIIIa and FIXa
Describe the initiation phase of the coagulation cascade.
- Injury of vessels wall leads to contact between blood and subendothelial cells
- Tissue factor (TF) is exposed and binds to FVIIa or FVII which is subsequently converted to FVIIa
- The complex between TF and FVIIa activates FIX and FX
- FXa binds to FVa on the cell surface
Describe the amplification stage of the coagulation cascade.
- The FXa/FVa complex converts small amounts of prothrombin into thrombin
- The small amount of thrombin generated activates FVIII, FV, FXI and platelets locally. FXIa converts FIX to FIXa
- Activated platelets bind FVa, FVIIIa and FIXa
Describe the propagation phase of the coagulation cascade?
- The FVIIIa/FIXa complex activates FX on the surfaces of activated platelets
- FXa in association with FVa converts large amounts of prothrombin into thrombin creating a “thrombin burst”.
- The “thrombin burst” leads to the formation of a stable fibrin clot
What kind of effect does absence of a component of the coagulation cascade (e.g. prothrombinase) have on the relative rate of activation?
Based on presence/absence of components in the coagulation cascade there is a multiplicative effect which can be as large as x1000 more coagulation.
Which are the Vit K dependent coagulation factors? Where are they produced?
II, VII, IX, X = Produced in the liver
What happens to the vitamin K dependent factors if it is absent?
To activate them you need vitamin K to act as a gamma-carboxylase enzyme
- Antibiotics can cause Vit K deficiency as gut flora is important for Vit K production
- Biliary tract obstruction (Vit K is fat soluble vitamin) can also cause Vit K deficiency
What is the main role of plasmin?
Conversion of fibrin into fibrin degradation products
List some inhibitors of fibrinolyis.
plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 & 2 (inhibits tPA and urokinase)
alpha2-antiplasmin and alpha2-macroglobulin (inhibit plasmin)
Which factors are important in conversion of plasminogen to plasmin?
- Factor XIa, XIIa
- Kallikreins
- tPA (tissue plasminogen activator)*
- Urokinase
*used in stroke/MI
Summarise fibrinolysis.
NB: TAFI inhibits fibrin degradation
List 3 physiological anticoagulants.
Antithrombins - bind thrombin for excretion via kidney; deficiencies present in 20s.
Protein C/S pathway - deactivate FV and VIII to stop thrombin generation. Resistance to APC in FV Leiden patients.
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) - inhibits TF and FVII recruitment which are important for triggerring factor IX and X activation.
List 4 causes of haemostasis disorders causing bleeding, which are (a) acquired and (b) genetic.
Acquired defects:
- liver disease (site of clotting factor synthesis)
- vitamin K deficiency
- autoimmune disease (platelet destruction)
- trauma
- anticoagulants/antiplatelets
Genetic defects:
- platelet abnormalities
- blood vessel wall abnormalities
- clotting factor deficiencies (haemophilias)
- excess clot breakdown (fibrinolysis)