The coagulation & inflammation interface : the pathophysiological basis for disease states

Abstract

The molecular and cellular pathways of coagulation and inflammation have traditionally been regarded as separate entities, however recent research has demonstrated that they are closely linked through endothelial and monocyte cell surfaces. This link is most apparent during severe sepsis, associated with multiple organ failure as a result of the dysregulation of procoagulant, anti-inflammatory, pro-inflammatory and fibrinolytic mechanisms. Also, the high incidence of vasculopathies seen in inflammatory and autoimmune disorders has further strengthened the relationship between these two mechanisms in the pathogenesis of other human disease states. In this thesis, I endeavoured to determine the link between coagulatory and inflammatory events in disease states traditionally associated solely with either pathway and this also included the non-pathogenic state of normal pregnancy.