Platelet-monocyte interactions--a dangerous liaison linking thrombosis, inflammation and atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. Monocyte-platelet interactions may play a key role in this process by various pathways. They "inflame" each other as well as adjacent cell types at the vascular wall by direct physical interactions, autocrine and paracrine activation processes. These processes promote monocyte recruitment (in)to the vascular wall--a key mechanism in atherogenesis. This article highlights the molecular basis and the inflammatory pathways initiated by platelet-monocyte interactions.