title: Primary haemostasis and its assessment by laboratory tests.
abstract: Platelets constantly patrol the inner surface of blood vessels searching leaks to be sealed, in order to prevent blood loss. When they detect a vessel injury their action can be divided into three phases. ADHESION: The platelets adhere to the injured blood vessel wall via their receptors glycoprotein (GP) Ib and integrin alpha2bbeta3 (GPIIb/IIIa) mediated by the ligands von Willebrand factor (VWF), fibrinogen and others. AGGREGATION: Platelets stick to each other through fibrinogen bridging integrin alpha2bbeta3 (GPIIb/IIIa) on adjacent platelets. SECRETION: During activation the content of platelet granules is released by exocytosis, thus augmenting and propagating formation of a haemostatic plug or thrombus. Laboratory tests mimic one or several aspects of these three phases to obtain reliable data on a patients platelet function. In this overview assays, test principles, and pitfalls are presented.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Transfusionsmedizin und Hämostaseologie, Klinik für Anästhesiologie, Klinikum der Universität München, Ziemssenstr. 1, 80336 München, Germany. Armin.Reininger@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reininger
mesh_terms: D001760:Bleeding Time; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006489:Hemostatic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D010976:Platelet Count; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins