Interaction of Platelets with the Vessel Wall

This scholarly volume distills the current understanding of cell-to-cell contact mediated by molecules generated within the cellular compartments and shuttled between them or exported. The examination of these vital processes begins by focusing on the receptor function of platelets, which involves a set of membrane glycoproteins that provides sites for binding of adhesive macromolecules, such as von Willebrand factor and fibrinogen, and for assembly of clotting factors. The second section explores metabolism of arachidonic acid by the platelets and vessel walls. The ongoing interplay among platelets, plasma factors, and the vessel wall--the central problem of hemostasis--is analyzed in the final section.