Influence of Mental Stress on Fibrinolysis , Platelet Aggregation and Amines in Plasma

Abstract

Many investigators are interested in the relationship between mental stress and platelet function, coagulation and fibrinolysis [1, 2], since several lines of evidence suggest that atherosclerotic cardiovascular events may be related to mental stress. Platelet aggregability in response to ADP increased in association with cardiac catheterisation and other diagnostic procedures [3], but on the contrary diminshed platelet aggregation in response to stress was observed by Haft and Arkel [4] and Larsson et al [5]. Levine et al found that mental stress provoked a rise in platelet release of platelet factor 4 and beta thromboglobulin [6]. Mental stress has been known to be capable of shortening the whole blood clotting time [7, 8]. Ogston et al found that recalcified plasma clotting time was shorter and plasma fibrinolytic activity was higher in patients having anxiety at the time of venepuncture 9. The initial observation that the fear of impending surgery increased fibrinolytic activitymade by Macfarlane and Biggs [10] Recently Jern et al [11] reported y the effects of mental stress on plasma coagulation and fibrinolysis. They showed that von Willebrand factor antigen, factor VIII coagulant activity and factor VII caoagulant activity increased significantl in to y yy response o mental stress, and furthermore mental stress caused an activation of the fibrinolytic system with an elevation of t-PA activity and t-PA antigen.