ROLE OF VON WILLEBRAND FACTOR IN PLATELET INTERACTION WITH AN EXPANDED PTFE SURFACE.

Von Willebrand Factor (vWF) is a large multimeric protein that is produced by endothelial cells and is found in human plasma, platelets, and subendothelium. Von Willebrand Factor has been associated with an abnormality in the ability of platelets to attach to subendothelium. Von Willebrand Factor has been shown to bind to various artificial surfaces and to attach more readily to surfaces precoated with vWF. In the current study, the authors used pigs with a severe deficiency of vWF to investigate the role of blood-borne vWF on the deposition of In-labeled platelets onto expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) exposed in a well-characterized perfusion chamber. Study methods and results are discussed.