Autopsy Findings in an Elderly Man Suffering from Severe von Willebrand’s Disease

Summary

A platelet derived growth factor released following platelet adhesion to the subendothelium of damaged arteries may promote the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Consequently patients with von Willebrand’s disease in whom platelet adhesion is abnormal may be protected from atherosclerosis. This possibility was investigated by performing an autopsy study on an elderly patient who had suffered from severe von Willebrand’s disease. Extensive atherosclerotic lesions were found at post mortem suggesting that platelets may not play a clinically significant role in the causation of atherosclerosis

Keywords

von Willebrand’s disease - Atherosclerosis

• References

• 1 Ross R, Glomset JA. Atherosclerosis and the arterial smooth muscle cell. Proliferation of smooth muscle is a key event in the genesis of the lesions of atherosclerosis Science 1973; 180: 1332-1339
• 2 Ross R, Glomset JA. The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. N Engl J Med 1976; 295 369-377 420-425
• 3 Harker LA, Ross R, Glomset JA. The role of endothelial cell injury and platelet response in atherogenesis. Thromb Haemostas 1978; 39: 312-321
• 4 Ross R, Glomset JA, Harker LA. Response to injury and atherogenesis. Am J Pathol 1977; 86: 675-684
• 5 Editorial. Factor VIII, von Willebrand’s disease and atherosclerosis. Br Med J 1977; 2: 1245-1246
• 6 Fuster V, Bowie EJ W, Lewis JC, Fass DN, Owen CA, Brown AL. Resistance to arteriosclerosis in pigs with von Willebrand’s disease. J Clin Invest 1978; 61: 722-730
• 7 Silwer J, Cronberg S, Nilsson IM. Occurrence of arteriosclerosis in von Willebrand's Disease. Acta Med Scand 1966; 180: 475-484
• 8 Evans RJ, Austen DE G. Assay of ristocetin co-factor using fixed platelets anda platelet counting technique. Br J Haematol 1977; 37: 289-294
• 9 Friedman RJ, Bums ER. Role of platelets in the proliferative response of the injured artery. In Progress in Hemostasis and Thrombosis. ed Spaet TH. Grune and Stratton New York 1978; 4 p 249-278
• 10 Bloom AL. The von Willebrand Syndrome. Semin Haematol 1980; 17: 215-227