Platelet-dependent and procoagulant mechanisms in arterial thrombosis.

The results of experiment and clinical studies support the hypothesis that initiation and progression of arterial thrombosis are dependent on a dynamic interaction between platelet- and coagulation-dependent mechanisms. Although treatment of patients with unstable coronary syndromes acutely with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors has already been shown to be remarkably effective in improving short- and long-term prognosis, strategies that inhibit factor thrombin and/or Xa activity may also have a role either alone or in combination with platelet inhibitors in treating patients with coronary thrombosis.