Thromb Haemost 2013; 110(05): 888-893
DOI: 10.1160/TH13-02-0096
Theme Issue Article
Schattauer GmbH

Platelets and neurovascular inflammation

Harald F. Langer
1   Medizinische Klinik III, Klinik für Kardiologie und Kreislauferkrankungen, Eberhard Karls-Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
,
Triantafyllos Chavakis
2   Medizinische Klinik III, Institut für Klinische Chemie und Institut für Physiologie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 04 February 2013

Accepted after major revision: 25 March 2013

Publication Date:
01 December 2017 (online)

Preview

Summary

Platelets participate in haemostasis and in thrombus formation in health and disease. Moreover, they contribute to inflammation and cooperate with immune cells in a magnitude of inflammatory/immune responses. Although the inflammatory response has been recognised to be critical in neuronal diseases such as Alzheimer´s disease or multiple sclerosis and its mouse counterpart, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the participation of platelets in these diseases is poorly investigated so far. Emerging studies, however, point to an interesting crosstalk between platelets and neuroinflammation. For instance, when the integrity of the blood brain barrier is compromised, platelets may be relevant for endothelial inflammation, as well as recruitment and activation of inflammatory cells, thereby potentially contributing to central nervous tissue pathogenesis. This review summarises recent insights in the role of platelets for neurovascular inflammation and addresses potential underlying mechanisms, by which platelets may affect the pathophysiology of neurovascular diseases.