title: Immune functions of platelets.
abstract: This review collects evidence about immune and inflammatory functions of platelets from a clinician's point of view. A focus on clinically relevant immune functions aims at stimulating further research, because the complexity of platelet immunity is incompletely understood and not yet translated into patient care. Platelets promote chronic inflammatory reactions (e.g. in atherosclerosis), modulate acute inflammatory disorders such as sepsis and other infections (participating in the host defense against pathogens), and contribute to exacerbations of autoimmune conditions (like asthma or arthritis). It would hence be obsolete to restrict a description of platelet functions to thrombosis and haemostasis--platelets clearly are the most abundant cells with immune functions in the circulation.
authors.affiliation: Daniel Duerschmied, MD, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Heart Center, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany, Tel.: +49 761 207 34410, Fax: +49 761 270 37855, E-mail: daniel.duerschmied@universitaets-herzzentrum.de.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duerschmied
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahrens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology*; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents
keywords: Platelet immunology; leukocyte function / activation; sepsis