Platelets and coagulation in infection

Abstract

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a frequent complication in sepsis that is associated with worse outcomes and higher mortality in patients. In addition to the uncontrolled generation of thrombi throughout the patient’s vasculature, DIC often consumes large quantities of clotting factors leaving the patient susceptible to hemorrhaging. Owing to these complications, patients often receive anticoagulants to treat the uncontrolled clotting, often with mixed outcomes. This lack of success with the current array of anticoagulants can be partly explained by the fact that during sepsis clotting is often initiated by the immune system. Systemic inflammation has the capacity to activate and amplify coagulation and, as such, potential therapies for the treatment of sepsis-associated DIC need to address the interaction between inflammation and coagulation. Recent studies have suggested that platelets and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are the key mediators of infection-induced coagulation. This review explores current anticoagulant therapies and discusses the development of future therapies to target platelet and NET-mediated coagulation.