Haemostasis Flashcards
What is haemostasis?
Arrest of blood loss from damaged vessels
Describe platelets during haemostasis
Non-adhesive
Circulate singly
What happens to platelets during vessel injury?
Aggregate, become stabilised by fibrin and arrest bleeding
What may abnormal haemostasis lead to?
Thrombosis
What can thrombosis lead to?
Myocardial infarction
Ischaemic stroke
What ensures that platelets do not activate during haemostasis?
Suppressive mediators and proteins produced by platelets and endothelial cells
Give examples of suppressive mediators
Nitric oxide - stops platelet activation
Prostacyclin (prostanoids) - stops platelet activation
What do suppressive mediators produced by endothelial cells do?
Prevent inappropriate smooth muscle contraction and hyperplasia
Describe the process of primary haemostasis
- Damage to blood vessel
- Exposure of platelets to collagen and vWF in extracellular/subendothelial matrix and later exposure to thrombin
- Platelets adhere and activate
- Release of mediators = positive feedback on step 3
- Vasoconstriction and aggregation of platelets
- Formation of soft platelet plug
What is PGI2?
Prostacyclin
How else can you write prostacyclin? (2)
PGI2
I2
What is vWF?
von Willebrand factor
Where is the extracellular/subendothelial matrix?
Beneath endothelial lining of vessel
Why does vasoconstriction occur when a vessel is damaged?
Decrease blood flow through this area to reduce blood loss
What does the extracellular/subendothelial matrix contain which is important in haemostasis?
vWF
Collagen
What allows platelets to adhere to substances in the extracellular/subendothelial matrix?
Adhesion molecules
What adhesion molecules adhere to vWF and collagen?
GP1b/G-protein 1b = vWF
GPVI and integrin α2β1 = collagen
What happens to platelets on adhesion?
Activation
Some adhesion causes thrombin production by platelets
What is COX?
Cyclooxygenase
What does COX do?
Produces various prostanoids
What does thromboxane do?
Further activation of platelets and vasoconstriction
How else can you write thromboxane?
TXA2
What is TXA2?
Thromboxane
What is 5-HT?
5-hydroxytryptamine
What does 5-hydroxytryptamine do?
Vasoconstriction
How else can you write 5-hydroxytryptamine?
5-HT
What is ADP?
Adenosine diphosphate
What does ADP do?
Further activation of adjacent platelets accumulating at site of injury via P2Y12 receptors
What receptors does ADP use?
P2Y12
What is GPIIb/IIIa?
Fibrinogen receptor
How else can the fibrinogen receptor be represented?
GPIIb/IIIa
αIIbβ3
What do fibrinogen receptors do?
Cross-link adjacent platelets together by fibrinogen bridges to form a soft platelet plug
What are the two steps of the clotting pathway?
Initiation/extrinsic pathway
Amplification and propagation/intrinsic pathway
Why is it called the extrinsic pathway?
Activated by factors which are usually extrinsic to blood
Is tissue factor intrinsic or extrinsic to blood?
Extrinsic
Where does the initiation/extrinsic pathway take place?
On tissue factor-expressing cells in tissue after blood leaks out of blood vessel
What happens in the initiation/extrinsic pathway? (reactions)
TF + FVII –> FVIIa
FVIIa:TF used in activation of FX (–> FXa)
FXa cleaves FII (–> FIIa)
What is FVII called?
Serine protease clotting factor (proteins with enzymatic activity)
What is FII?
Prothrombin
What is FIIa?
Thrombin
How else can you write prothrombin?
FII
How else can you write thrombin?
FIIa
Where is prothrombin found?
Surface of platelets
Describe the intrinsic pathway (4)
Initiated by thrombin
Involves activation of many factors including FV, FVIII, FIX, FX
Takes place on activated platelets
FVa complexes with FXa to accelerate thrombin production
What does thrombin do?
Cleaves fibrinogen on platelet surface to form fibrin
What does fibrin do?
Meshes together to form a stable platelet clot
What does FIXa do?
Also involved in activation of FX
Why are arterial clots called ‘white clots’?
Large platelet component appears white under microscope
Why are venous clots called ‘red clots’?
Red blood cell component appears red under microscope
What are arterial clots usually associated with?
Atherosclerosis
Where do white clots form?
Site of vascular injury/disturbed blood flow
What do you use to treat arterial clots?
Anti-platelet drugs
What are arterial clots a major cause of?
Myocardial infarction
(80% of) strokes
What are venous clots usually associated with? (3)
Stasis or turbulent flow of blood (activates components in clotting cascade)
Vascular injury following surgery or trauma
Hypercoagulability disorders
What makes up red clots?
Platelets
Fibrin
Red blood cells
How do you treat venous clots?
Anti-coagulants