Vaskulárna medicína 1/2011
Platelet function in relation to the vessel wall
Platelet-vessel wall interactions occur via glycoprotein receptors expressed on platelet surface, called integrins and adhesion molecules. The physiological role of platelets is to participate in primary hemostasis to stop the bleeding and assist in vessel wall structure recovery. Under pathological circumstances they contribute to atherogenesis, atherothrombosis and inflammation. Activation of platelets, endothelial cells, leukocytes and according to the most recent data also accumulation of the circulating endothelial progenitor cells is crucial for these conditions.
Keywords: platelets, vessel wall, endothelium, integrins, adhesion molecules
