Thrombosis Flashcards
What is arterial thrombosis?
A blood clot that develops in an artery
How can atherosclerosis lead to thrombosis?
Rupturing of fibrous cap around a plaque
When a plaque ruptures what stages follow to lead to thrombosis?
Adhesion of platelets to vessel wall
Release of granule contents
Aggregation of platelet to platelet (plug)
Release of co-factors for clotting
Where and how to platelets bind to endothelium?
Platelet GP1a binds Collagen
Platelet GP1b binds Von Willebrand factor (vWf)
What types of platelet granules are there and what do they release?
Platelets contain two types of storage granule a- granules (PDGF, thrombospondin, platelet factor 4, fibrinogen, fibronectin, vWf etc.) and dense bodies (ATP, ADP, GDP, GTP, serotonin, calcium)
How do platelets bind eachother?
Fibrinogen ‘bridges’ stabilise platelet aggregates
Fibrinogen binds platelet surface GPIIb/GPIIIa
What do thrombolytic agents do?
Dissolve existing thrombi
What does streptokinase do?
Enzyme of b-haemolytic Streptococci
Dissolves blood clots by converting plasminogen into plasmin
How is streptokinase given and what is it used for?
Given as iv infusion or via catheter at site of arterial blockage
Used in treatment of acute MI (heart attack) with aspirin
What does recombinant tPA do?
Recombinant human tissue Plasminogen Activator protein
Mode of action accelerated plasminogen cleavage to plasmin
How is recombinant tPA given and what is it used for?
Given as iv infusion or via catheter at site of arterial blockage
Used in treatment of acute MI (with aspirin and heparin)
How does tPA compare with streptokinase?
10x more expensive than streptokinase ($2,200 vs $200)
Clinical trials show slightly increased efficacy compared with Streptokinase
What do antiplatelet agents do?
Interfere with platelet activity
How does aspirin work?
Non-competitive inhibitor of COX-I and COX-2
Acetylates cyclo-oxygenases COX-I and COX-2 (required for TxA2)
Low dose aspirin blocks platelet TXA2 production
What is TXA2?
Thromboxane A2 key mediator of platelet adhesion
What does clopidogrel do?
Blocks activity of platelet ADP
What is abciximab? How does it work?
Abciximab (c7E3) is a chimeric mouse-human monoclonal antibody directed against the platelet GP IIb/IIIa receptor.
Mechanism thought to be steric hindrance of the receptor.
How does warfarin work?
Inhibitor of vitamin K-dependent synthesis of biologically active forms of the clotting factors II, VII, IX and X, as well as the regulatory factors protein C, protein S, and protein Z.
The precursors of these factors require gamma carboxylation of their glutamic acid residues (gamma-glutamyl carboxylase)
This is coupled to the Vitamin K epoxide enzyme (converting reduced vitamin K to vitamin K epoxide)
Warfarin inhibits epoxide reductase (VKORC1) thereby diminishing available reduced vitamin K - which inhibits the carboxylation activity of the glutamyl carboxylase.
What does warfarin inhibit?
Epoxide reductase (VKORC1)
What does warfarin do to vitamin K
Diminishes available reduced vitamin K
What is a venous thrombosis?
Thrombus is a blood clot that forms in situ within a blood vessel that impedes blood flow
What is an embolus?
Embolus is an abnormal mass transported in the bloodstream Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is where a thrombus forms from blood clotting within a deep vein.
What is thrombophlebitis?
Thrombophlebitis is inflammation of superficial veins due to a blood clot, less serious than deep vein thrombosis (DVT)