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Review
. 2011 Mar;127(3):184-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2010.10.010. Epub 2010 Nov 13.

Platelets as immune mediators: their role in host defense responses and sepsis

Zhenyu Li  1 , Fanmuyi Yang, Steve Dunn, A Kendall Gross, Susan S Smyth
Affiliations
Review

Platelets as immune mediators: their role in host defense responses and sepsis

Zhenyu Li et al. Thromb Res. 2011 Mar.

Abstract

Platelets occupy a central role at the interface between thrombosis and inflammation. At sites of vascular damage, adherent platelets physically and functionally interact with circulating leukocytes. Activated platelets release soluble factors into circulation that may have local and systemic effects on blood and vascular cells. Platelets can also interact with a wide variety of microbial pathogens. Emerging evidence from animal models suggests that platelets may participate in a wide variety of processes involving tissue injury, immune responses and repair that underlie diverse diseases such as atherosclerosis, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory lung and bowel disorders, host-defense responses and sepsis. In this review, we summarize the general mechanisms by which platelets may contribute to immune function, and then discuss evidence for their role in host defense responses and sepsis from preclinical and clinical studies.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of some of the molecules involved in promoting platelet-leukocyte interactions, mediators produced by these interactions, and disorders in which they may play a pathologic role.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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