von Willebrand factor and the endothelium in vascular disease

von Willebrand factor (vWF), first described in a bleeding disorder, has numerous other roles, some of which can be viewed in terms of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and others in the formation of thrombus. As a marker of endothelial cell injury it provides a unique opportunity to observe the events involved in conditions where vasculitis may occur, e.g. inflammatory vascular disease and diabetes. Just as low levels predispose to disease, so excessively high levels may lead to adverse cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and femoral artery occlusion, which may both be precipitated by thrombus. It is possible that intervention (possibly with drugs, peptides or other agents) that reduces circulating vWF, perhaps by interfering with its activity in aggregating platelets and mediating their adhesion to the sub-endothelium, or reducing its release from the endothelium, may lead to a reduction in thrombotic disease.