For those who still think that platelets are merely required for clotting of the blood may find this review very interesting. It is in Medscape, registration required but it's free. http://www.medscape....rticle/814687_1
Or find it elsewhere: Cornelia Speth, Jürgen Löffler, Sven Krappmann, Cornelia Lass-Flörl, Günter Rambach
Platelets as Immune Cells in Infectious Diseases
Future Microbiol. 2013;8(11):1431-1451.
Abstract
Platelets have been shown to cover a broad range of functions. Besides their role in hemostasis, they have immunological functions and thus participate in the interaction between pathogens and host defense. Platelets have a broad repertoire of receptor molecules that enable them to sense invading pathogens and infection-induced inflammation. Consequently, platelets exert antimicrobial effector mechanisms, but also initiate an intense crosstalk with other arms of the innate and adaptive immunity, including neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages, dendritic cells, B cells and T cells. There is a fragile balance between beneficial antimicrobial effects and detrimental reactions that contribute to the pathogenesis, and many pathogens have developed mechanisms to influence these two outcomes. This review aims to highlight aspects of the interaction strategies between platelets and pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, in addition to the subsequent networking between platelets and other immune cells, and the relevance of these processes for the pathogenesis of infections.
