Proteolysis of von Willebrand Factor and Shear Stress–Induced Platelet Aggregation in Patients With Aortic Valve Stenosis

Abstract

Alterations of vWF and platelet function may contribute to the bleeding diathesis in patients with aortic valve stenosis. Improvement after corrective surgery suggests that the passage of blood through a stenosed aortic valve may result in shear forces that induce vWF interaction with platelets in the circulation and, in turn, trigger platelet clearance, vWF degradation, and the impairment of primary hemostasis.