Red Blood Cells: the Forgotten Player in Hemostasis and Thrombosis

Red Blood Cells: the Forgotten Player in Hemostasis and Thrombosis

Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 17: 271–282 DOI: 10.1111/jth.14360 REVIEW ARTICLE Red blood cells: the forgotten player in hemostasis and thrombosis J. W. WEISEL* andR. I. LITVINOV*† *Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; and †Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia To cite this article: Weisel JW, Litvinov RI. Red blood cells: the forgotten player in hemostasis and thrombosis. J Thromb Haemost 2019; 17: 271–82. and experimental associations between RBCs and Summary. New evidence has stirred up a long-standing thrombosis or bleeding, implying that RBCs are a but undeservedly forgotten interest in the role of ery- prospective therapeutic target in hemostatic and throm- throcytes, or red blood cells (RBCs), in blood clotting botic disorders. and its disorders. This review summarizes the most recent research that describes the involvement of RBCs Keywords: blood clotting; erythrocytes; hemostasis; red in hemostasis and thrombosis. There are both quantita- blood cells; thrombosis. tive and qualitative changes in RBCs that affect bleed- ing and thrombosis, as well as interactions of RBCs with cellular and molecular components of the hemo- static system. The changes in RBCs that affect hemosta- Introduction sis and thrombosis include RBC counts or hematocrit The study of erythrocytes, or red blood cells (RBCs), (modulating blood rheology through viscosity) and qual- has been a major focus of hematology, as has been itative changes, such as deformability, aggregation, hemostasis and thrombosis, but until recently, there has expression of adhesive proteins and phosphatidylserine, been little overlap in these two areas, because most sci- release of extracellular microvesicles, and hemolysis. The entists and clinicians have assumed that RBCs play a pathogenic mechanisms implicated in thrombotic and largely passive and relatively unimportant role in hemorrhagic risk include variable adherence of RBCs to thrombosis and hemostasis. However, now it has the vessel wall, which depends on the functional state become apparent that RBCs have a variety of impor- of RBCs and/or endothelium, modulation of platelet tant functions and have a substantial influence on blood reactivity and platelet margination, alterations of fibrin clotting, hemostasis and thrombosis that is clinically sig- structure and reduced susceptibility to fibrinolysis, mod- nificant (Table 1). This notion is based on the major ulation of nitric oxide availability, and the levels of von observations that include reduced bleeding at a high Willebrand factor and factor VIII in blood related to hematocrit irrespective of the platelet count and predis- the ABO blood group system. RBCs are involved position to thrombosis associated with an increase in in platelet-driven contraction of clots and thrombi that the RBC count, congenital erythroid diseases, and vari- results in formation of a tightly packed array of poly- ous acquired pathological conditions that change the hedral erythrocytes, or polyhedrocytes, which comprises properties of RBCs (Table 2). A relatively high inci- a nearly impermeable barrier that is important for dence of thrombotic complications after RBC transfu- hemostasis and wound healing. The revisited notion of sions provides another strong argument for the the importance of RBCs is largely based on clinical involvement of RBCs in blood clotting disorders, although the thrombosis risk could also be ascribed to the underlying disease, which may dampen the causality Correspondence: John W. Weisel, University of Pennsylvania Perel- of blood transfusion for thrombosis. In addition to clin- man School of Medicine, 1154 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, ical observations and experimental studies, computa- Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058, USA tional modeling of thrombosis with a focus on the Tel.: +1 215 898 3573 E-mail: [email protected] effects of RBCs has provided quantitative and mecha- nistic insights [1]. This review will briefly summarize Received: 30 August 2018 what is currently known about the involvement of Manuscript handled by: P.H. Reitsma RBCs in hemostasis and thrombosis and its underappre- Final decision: P.H. Reitsma, 28 November 2018 ciated importance. © 2018 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis 272 J. W. Weisel and R. I. Litvinov Table 1 Effects of red blood cells (RBCs) related to thrombosis and hemostasis and underlying mechanisms Pro- or Effects Mechanisms antithrombotic References ## Hemorheological RBCs increase blood viscosity because of a rise in hematocrit, an increase in RBC Pro [2–5] effects aggregation or a decrease in RBC deformability (increasing flow resistance) Conversely, anemia is associated with low blood viscosity and bleeding tendency Anti [2–5] as a result of reduced platelet margination toward endothelium and enhanced NO availability RBCs undergo shear-dependent reversible aggregation mediated by plasma Pro [14–16,70–74] proteins (mainly fibrinogen and immunoglobulins) and/or local osmotic gradient RBCs with increased rigidity occlude small vessels Pro [11,12] Deformability of RBCs reduces frictional resistance to flow Anti [8,11–13] RBCs maintain biconcave shape and a high surface-to-volume ratio as a result of Pro or anti [5] cytoskeleton and water/ions balance RBCs migrate to the center of blood flow and push platelets toward the Pro [59–61] endothelium (margination) in a hematocrit- and shear-dependent manner Effects on platelet RBCs increase platelet adhesion and aggregation by release of ADP and Pro [66,67] reactivity thromboxane A2 RBCs form aggregates with platelets via adhesive molecules (ICAM-4 and Pro [62–64] fibrinogen with aIIbb3) Free hemoglobin released during hemolysis scavenges nitric oxide, a platelet Pro [50,51,68,69] inhibitor and vasodilator Free hemoglobin suppresses platelet activation by release of S-nitrosothiols, Anti [48,53] functional equivalents of NO Interactions with RBCs bind directly to endothelium via adhesive molecules (Lutheran blood group/ Pro [10,54,55] vessel wall basal cell adhesion molecule/band 3, integrin a4Bb1, CD36, ICAM-4, phosphatidylserine, etc.) In FeCl3-induced thrombosis, RBCs bind to endothelium via unknown Pro [57] mechanisms RBCs modulate endothelial cell activation through release of NO, NO equivalents Anti [49,52] and ATP Thrombin generation Phosphatidylserine is exposed on RBCs by Ca2+-dependent scramblase in Pro [18–25] response to high-shear stress, complement attack, oxidative stress, apoptosis, etc. RBCs release membrane-derived procoagulant microvesicles bearing Pro [28–31,33,34] phosphatidylserine during in vivo aging and in vitro storage Meizothrombin, a protein C activator with low fibrinogen-cleaving activity, is Anti [20] formed on RBCs and released into the blood Factor IX is activated directly by an elastase-like enzyme on the RBC membrane Pro Structure and RBCs make the fibrin network more porous Anti [65,79,80] properties of clots Variable deformability of RBCs affects blood clot mechanics Pro or anti and thrombi Factor XIIIa-mediated RBC retention increases thrombus size Pro [81–83] Effects on fibrinolysis RBCs reduce clot permeability Pro [84,86,87] and thrombolysis RBCs suppress tPA-induced plasminogen activation Pro RBCs decrease fibrin fiber diameter and change the network structure, thus Pro reducing susceptibility to fibrinolysis RBCs are potential transportation cargo for targeted delivery of thrombolytic Anti [45] drugs Effects on clot Compacted RBCs form impermeable seal Pro or anti [88,89] contraction RBCs undergo compressive deformation from biconcave to polyhedral and Pro or anti [91–93] intermediate forms RBCs are redistributed in contracted clots toward the middle Pro or anti [89] Hemostatic effects of RBC transfusion stops bleeding associated with anemia and thrombocytopenia Pro [39,47] RBC transfusions RBC transfusion improves platelet responsiveness to stimulation Pro Complications of RBC “Storage lesion” of RBCs includes: Pro [31,32,34,36,37, transfusions • oxidative stress and membrane damage 40–45,47–49] • phosphatidylserine exposure • release of microvesicles • hemolysis • increased membrane rigidity • release of free hemoglobin • activation of complement • depletion of NO and its functional equivalents • apoptosis (eryptosis) © 2018 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Red blood cells in hemostasis and thrombosis 273 Table 2 (Pro)thrombotic pathologies with RBCs as a (major) pathogenic factor Pathologies References Erythroid diseases Polycythemia vera J Intern Med 1998, 244: 49; Curr Opin Hematol 2014, 21: 186 Hereditary elliptocytosis Int J Lab Hematol 2017; 39 Suppl 1: 47 Hereditary stomatocytosis Br J Haematol 1996, 93: 303; Blood 1997, 89: 3451 Hereditary spherocytosis Blood 2009; 114: 2861; J Thromb Haemost 2008; 6: 1289; Curr Opin Hematol 2014, 21: 186 Hereditary xerocytosis Int J Lab Hematol 2017; 39 Suppl 1: 47; Rev Med Interne 2007; 28: 879 (Beta)-thalassemia Acta Hematol 1992, 87: 71; Stroke 1990, 21: 812; Am J Physiol 1996, 270: H1951 Sickle cell disease Thromb Haemost 1996, 76: 322; Curr Opin Hematol 1996, 3: 118; Microcirculation 2009, 16:97 Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria Blood Cells Mol Dis 2017, 65: 29; Br J Haematol 2011; 152: 631 Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency Vox Sang 2013; 105: 271 (favism) Secondary erythrocytosis Sleep Breath 2010; 14: 193 Non-erythroid diseases Immune hemolytic anemias Br J Haematol 2016, 172: 144 Atherosclerotic

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