Laura young Flashcards
Where do platelets come from and how do they get into the blood?
They bud of megakaryocytes. They are located next to the bone marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells and extend filopodia into the capillaries. 4000 platelets/ megakaryocyte
What is in platelets?
Alpha granules that contain fibrinogen, factor V, vWF, fibronectin
Dense granulse: ADP, Ca2+, Mg2+, serotonin, nucleotides
What is primary and secondary haemostasis?
Primary - platelet plug at the site of vessel injury
Secondary - formation of fibrin
What is the process of primary haemostasis?
Constriction of the vessel wall.
Platelets become activated and aggregate the site of injury, forming a temporary loose plug.
What happens to a platelet when it becomes activated?
It changes from round to pointy with filopodia. It releases granules. Forms surface for coagulation pathway.
The released granules recruit more platelets.
How do platelets form a plug?
Endothelial cells produce vasodilators (NO). Damage stops this production.
Injury exposes collagen, which circulating vWBF binds. The platelet binds to vWBF with GP-1B-V-IX.
The platelet get pulled into the wound in a rolling motion and the platelet activates.
The activated platelets change shape and release their granules to attract more platelets (ADP, TxA2) and cause vasoconstriction (serotonin, ADP and TxA2).
The shape change also exposes integrin alpha-2bB3, which binds to other platelets via fibrinogen.
Clotting pathway then starts on the platelet surface. Platelets released some factors in the coagulation pathway.
What is the function of thromboxane A2?
It is produced by platelets and it decreases cAMP levels, which increases platelet Ca2+ and results in granule release and platelet activation. This is reduced by prostacyclin produced by intact endothelial cells.
Aspirin blocks COX, which is involved in production of TxA2.
What changes the number of platelets in the blood?
Decrease production - virus infection, drugs, bone marrow failure
Increase destruction - immune thrombocytopenia, DIC
Increase production - myeloproliferative disease - polycythaemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, primary myelofibrosis
What is thrombocytopenia?
Decreased platelets.
Recurrent epistaxis and easy bruising. Petechiae
Caused by anthing that reduces the number of megakaryocytes:
Decrease production- viruses or drugs, BM failure.
Increased destruction - immune thrombocytopenia (antibodies bind -> opsonisation), disseminated intravascular coagulation, glandular fever (caused by EBV)
Other: hypersplenism (pool of platelets in spleen)
What is immune thrombocytopenia?
Antibodies bind platelets -> opsonisation. With reduced platelet production.
Treat with prednisone. Remove spleen.
Thrombopoietin receptor agonist treatment.
What is haemostasis and thrombosis?
Normal situation where a blood clot is formed to heal vascular damage.
Thrombosis is the unnecessary formation of a clot.
What is the start of the extrinsic pathway?
Tissue factor and Factor VIIa
Where is tissue factor expressed?
On the subenothelial tissues. Exposed with tissue damage.
What are calcium and phospholipids required for?
Required on the platelet membrane to stabilize the proteins on the platelet membrane.
Where does fibrinogen come from?
It is in the plasma. Links together to form fibrin.
What inhibits the first complex?
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) - inhibits factor VII, TF
What do protein C and S inhibit?
Factor VIII and factor V
What does anti-thrombin do?
Inhibits Xa, IXa and thrombin
What does Factor XIII do and what activates it?
Cross-links the fibrin molecules and is activated by thrombin (factor IIa). Creates the D-dimers by cross-linking.
What are the functions of thrombin?
Converts fibrinogen into fibrin.
Activates factors V, VIII, XI, XIII and protein C.
Platelet activation
What are the two classes of functional enzymes?
Proteases and co-factors.
What are the vitamin K dependent factors?
Factor II, VII, IX, X, protein C and protein S
What does vitamin K do?
Enables the factors to bind to the platelet membranes.
Controls folding of the factors GLA domains to allow them to bind to the platelet membrane.
It carboxylates the glutamate residues in the GLA domain. Also need Ca2+
How is vitamin K absorbed?
Vit K is a fat soluble vitamin that you need bile to absorb. Liver disease = no vit K absorption.
Give vitamin K to prevent haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
Do natural inhibitors change the laboratory tests?
No - only function in the blood, don’t change the tests.