Blood clot formation under flow: the importance of factor XI depends strongly on platelet count

A previously validated mathematical model of intravascular platelet deposition and tissue factor (TF)-initiated coagulation under flow is extended and used to assess the influence on thrombin production of the activation of factor XI (fXI) by thrombin and of the activation of factor IX (fIX) by fXIa. It is found that the importance of the thrombin-fXIa-fIXa feedback loop to robust thrombin production depends on the concentration of platelets in the blood near the injury. At a near-wall platelet concentration of ~250,000/μL, typical in vessels in which the shear rate is <200 s(-1), thrombin activation of fXI makes a significant difference only at low densities of exposed TF. If the near-wall platelet concentration is significantly higher than this, either because of a higher systemic platelet count or because of the redistribution of platelets toward the vessel walls at high shear rates, then thrombin activation of fXI makes a major difference even for relatively high densities of exposed TF. The model predicts that the effect of a severe fXI deficiency depends on the platelet count, and that fXI becomes more important at high platelet counts.