Inflammation and Acute Venous Thrombosis

Abstract

Inflammation is known as a controlled response to an injury that protects against further injury and clears damaged tissue. However, uncontrolled inflammation can lead to a marked breakdown of the extracellular matrix as well as organ destruction. Stewart et al. demonstrated in a vein thrombosis model that leukocytes migrate into vein walls with an intact layer of endothelial cells, subsequently linking inflammation and thrombosis. Since then, multiple studies have reported on the interaction between inflammation and vein thrombosis. This article summarizes published material that assesses the relationship between inflammation and acute vein thrombosis. The article will focus on the role of endothelial cells, leukocytes, platelets, and microparticles in acute vein thrombosis and discuss the role of thrombin, P-selectin, platelet-activating factor, endothelin-1, and nitric oxide from the perspective of inflammation.