title: Scanning electron microscopy investigation of fibrin networks after thermal injury.
abstract: Injury due to burning is known to impact on coagulation and haemostasis by disturbing  the coagulation cascade and is also associated with impaired fibrinolysis. Also, venous  thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and hypercoagulability are common during thermal injury.  Using a Wistar albino rat model, we investigated in this study whether burn injury affects the  ultrastructure of the fibrin networks. A typical fibrin network will contain mostly major, thick  fibres with minor, thin fibres distributed amongst them. We found that the clot architecture  changes after burn injury, showing more prominent minor, thin fibres in a netted appearance.  Also, the clot showed areas of matted fibrin. We suggest that the thrombotic events associated  with burn injury are due to the thickened and netlike areas formed when thrombin activates  the coagulation cascade. This is due to impaired fibrinolysis activities, causing the resulting  fibrin clots not to be successfully disseminated. Small fragments of these netted, clumped areas  may therefore break loose and lead to thrombotic events after burn injuries. The current study  therefore provided morphological evidence for thrombotic events associated with burn injury.
authors: Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria. resia.pretorius@up.ac.za.
authors: Etheresia
authors: E
authors: Pretorius
authors: Jeané
authors: J
authors: Olivier
authors: Hester M
authors: HM
authors: Oberholzer
authors: Wendy J
authors: WJ
authors: Van der Spuy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000502:physiology; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005337:Fibrin / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000502:physiology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D005337:Fibrin