[Binding of the von Willebrand factor to solid surfaces: effect of shear strength]

Platelet adhesion onto subendothelium of a damaged blood vessel depends upon the presence of von Willebrand factor (vWf) only at high flow shear rate. Our results showed enhanced adsorption of vWf onto stainless steel and latex surfaces under conditions of high shear stress, thus suggesting that in the rapidly flowing blood the extremely long vWf molecules are stretched, thus accelerating their binding to a given surface.