Haemostasis Flashcards
State the steps involved in haemostatic plug formation from the time of injury.
- Vessel constriction
- Formation of an unstable platelet plug (platelet adhesion + platelet aggregation) PRIMARY haemo
- Stabilisation of plug with fibrin (blood coagulation) SECONDARY haemo
- Dissolution of clot and vessel repair (fibrinolysis)
What component found underneath the endothelium is involved in triggering the coagulation cascade?
Procoagulant subendothelial structures e.g. collagen Tissue factor is also expressed on the surface of cells under endothelium eg VSMC but it is NOT normally expressed within the circulation itself
State some important factors produced by endothelial cells.
Prostacyclin
Thrombomodulin
Von Willebrand Factor
Plasminogen Activator
What process during maturation of the megakaryocytes is important for the formation of platelets?
Granulation- granules like alpha granules which contain growth factors, vWF and factor V etc. Other granules include dense granules etc.
Platelets bud off from the megakaryocytes (ie take cytoplasm with them and the granules within the megakaryocyte cytoplasm). After budding, what is mainly left over is the nucleus of the megakaryocyte
How many platelets are produced by one megakaryocyte?
4000
What do the dense granules in platelets contain that is important for platelet function?
ADP
What do alpha granules in the platelets contain?
vWF
Factor V
various growth factors
State the two ways in which platelets can bind to collagen. Name the receptors involved.
It can bind via vWF to collagen (via the GpIb receptor)
It can bind directly to the collagen via GPVI & α2β1 (aka Gp1a from year 1)
What happens following the passive adhesion of platelets to subendothelial matrix (including collagen) via receptors (Gp1a/1b depending on whether with VWF or not)?
The receptors signal inside the platelet to release ADP from the storage granules and to synthesise thromboxane
These bind to receptors on the surface of the platelets (that released them) and activate them
Once activated, GpIIb/IIIa receptors become available, which can bind to fibrinogen and allows the platelets to aggregate
Which receptors on the platelets become available following activation of the platelets and what do they bind to?
GlpIIb/IIIa
These bind to fibrinogen
What else can activate platelets?
Thrombin (from secondary haemostasis)
What effect does aspirin have on this entire pathway? What effect does aspirin have on this entire pathway?
Aspirin is a COX1 inhibitor. COX enzymes are involved in thromboxane A2 synthesis. THromboxane and ADP are released by platelets to activate themselves to cause aggregation etc.
State some important drug targets in platelet aggregation.
COX
GlpIIb/IIIa
ADP Receptor
What is the most important test for monitoring platelets and their function?
Platelet count
What is a common cause of spontaneous bleeding? What are the clinical features?
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (autoimmune antibodies clear platelets from the circulation) (aka idiopathic etc what u had)
This results in petechiae, purpura, easy bruises and ecchymoses
petechiae, purpura and ecchymoses are pretty much the same thing but petechiae are small dots and ecchymoses is the biggest one out of the 3
What is the normal range for platelet count?
150-400 x 109/L
Why do you get thrombocytopenia in leukaemia?
Leukaemic cells populate the bone marrow so it crowds out the megakaryocytes so the platelets aren’t produced in sufficient numbers
What is the bleeding time test used to observe?
This checks the platelet-vessel wall interaction
This isn’t used any more
Describe the platelet aggregation test.
The platelets are stimulated with ADP/thromboxane/collagen to study their function
This is used to diagnose platelet disease e.g. von Willebrand disease
Where is von Willebrand factor produced?
Endothelial cells and a little bit by megakaryocytes
What factors do megakaryocytes produce?
Factor V
Von Willebrand Factor
Tissue factor- factor 7a complex activates the clotting cascade by converting 9 to 9a and by converting 10 to 10a. What are the differences between these two pathways
9 to 9a – slower but produces more thrombin
10 to 10a – faster
State two accelerating factors. What are they activated by?
Factor VIII
Factor V
They are activated by trace amounts of thrombin
If you look at last year’s slides, these 2 were the cofactors in the green box
Which factors are activated on the surface of the platelet? Describe how this works.
10 to 10a
2 to 2a (prothrombin to thrombin)
For 9a to activate 10 it needs to come in close proximity with 10. They both bind to the surface of the platelet mediated by calcium ions, and factor 8a bring the two close together (F8a acts as cofactor) so that 9a can proteolytically cleave 10 to 10a
Factor Va does the same with 10a and 2 (prothrombin)