Vessel injury, thrombosis, and platelet survival

Vascular injury triggers platelet reactions of adhesion, aggregation, and release, and these reactions play important roles in hemostasis, thrombosis and thromboembolism, and atherogenesis. Measurement of platelet and fibrinogen turnover rates are indicators of the relative involvement of platelets and fibrin in the thrombotic process, and also provide an objective means of assessing antithrombotic therapy. Isotopic methods are preferred over chemical methods to measure platelet survival time; 51Cr is used most widely to label platelets. Problems of analysis and interpretation of platelet disappearance curves are reviewed briefly.