Relation of platelet count to bleeding and vascular complications in patients undergoing coronary angiography

Platelet to albumin ratio: A risk factor related to prognosis in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCAD) is recognized as a chronic subclinical systemic inflammatory condition. The platelet-albumin ratio (PAR) has shown promise in prognosticating various inflammation-related disorders. Our study aimed to assess the connection between PAR and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-treated patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).

METHODS

PAR, derived from platelet and albumin counts, categorized participants into four quartiles. The primary outcome was composite MACE, encompassing all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemia-driven revascularization. Secondary outcomes comprised individual MACE components. Multivariate Cox regression evaluated PAR's independent impact on adverse events. The non-linear relationship between the PAR value and MACE was explored using a restricted cubic spline (RCS). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Subgroup analysis was used to determine the effect of PAR on MACE in different subgroups.

RESULTS

Enrolling 1391 NSTE-ACS patients, high PAR quartiles were correlated with elevated MACE rates (quartile 4 vs. quartile 1: 33.5% vs. 10.2%, p < 0.001). PAR was revealed to be independently related to an increased risk of MACE (quartile 4 vs. quartile 1: HR, 2.04 [95% CI, 1.34-3.08], p = 0.001). RCS indicated a positive PAR-MACE relationship. The AUC of PAR for the 3-year MACE was 0.659 (95% CI: 0.626-0.677, P<0.001). Subgroup analysis showed no significant interactions across subsets.

CONCLUSION

PAR independently predicted MACE risk in PCI-treated NSTE-ACS patients.

The relationship between platelet distribution width and new-onset cardiovascular disease events in patients with peritoneal dialysis

Objectives

The global mortality rate from chronic kidney disease (CKD) has increased over the past two decades. Typically, peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains a useful alternative treatment for end-stage renal disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main complication in PD patients. In terms of prognosis, it is reported that platelet distribution width (PDW) can predict adverse CVD events. However, the relationship between PDW and new-onset CVD in PD patients is not clear. This study aimed to explore the relationship between PDW and new-onset CVD in PD patients.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study, from 4 July 2005 to 31 December 2019, and a total of 1557 patients were recruited. PDW was respectively categorized into two groups: PDW ≤13.2 fL and PDW >13.2 fL. The primary outcome was a new-onset CVD event. Cox proportional hazards models were performed to assess the hazard ratio (HR). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the PDW on CVD events.

Results

During follow-up, 114 new-onset CVD events were recorded. Cox proportional hazards models showed a higher risk of CVD events in patients with high PDW (HR = 1.862 95%CI 1.205–2.877, p = 0.005). Kaplan–Meier cumulative incidence curves showed the risk of the first occurrence of CVD events was greater in the high PDW group (p = 0.006).

Conclusions

High PDW is associated with new-onset cardiovascular disease events in PD patients.

Platelet-lymphocyte ratio as a new predictor of in-hospital mortality in cardiac intensive care unit patients

It has been discovered that both inflammation and platelet aggregation could cause crucial effect on the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases. As a combination of platelet and lymphocyte, platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was proved to be correlated with the severity as well as prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. Exploring the relationship between PLR and in-hospital mortality in cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) patients was the purpose of this study. PLR was calculated by dividing platelet count by lymphocyte count. All patients were grouped by PLR quartiles and the primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The independent effect of PLR was determined by binary logistic regression analysis. The curve in line with overall trend was drawn by local weighted regression (Lowess). Subgroup analysis was used to determine the relationship between PLR and in-hospital mortality in different subgroups. We included 5577 CICU patients. As PLR quartiles increased, in-hospital mortality increased significantly (Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1: 13.9 vs. 8.3, P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding variables, PLR was proved to be independently associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality (Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1: OR 95% CI 1.55, 1.08–2.21, P = 0.016, P for trend < 0.001). The Lowess curves showed a positive relationship between PLR and in-hospital mortality. The subgroup analysis revealed that patients with low Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation IV (APACHE IV) or with less comorbidities had higher risk of mortality for PLR. Further, PLR quartiles had positive relation with length of CICU stay (Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1: 2.7, 1.6–5.2 vs. 2.1, 1.3–3.9, P < 0.001), and the length of hospital stay (Quartile 4 vs. Quartile 1: 7.9, 4.6–13.1 vs. 5.8, 3.3–9.8, P < 0.001). PLR was independently associated with in-hospital mortality in CICU patients.

Association of platelet to lymphocyte ratio with in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events and the severity of coronary artery disease assessed by the Gensini score in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background:

The platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has recently emerged as a potential inflammatory biomarker and has been shown to be significantly associated with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, we aimed to explore the association of PLR with in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and the severity of CAD assessed by the Gensini score (GS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing coronary angiography.

Methods:

A total of 502 patients with AMI consecutively treated at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University (Qingdao, China) and underwent coronary angiography from August 2017 to December 2018 were recruited in this study. The demographic, clinical, angiographic characteristics, and laboratory parameters were collected. According to the presence of in-hospital MACEs, the included patients were divided into the MACE group (n = 81) and the non-MACE group (n = 421). Further, according to tertiles of the GS, the patients were classified into three groups: the low GS group (GS ≤ 32 points, n = 173), medium GS group (32 points < GS ≤ 60 points, n = 169), and high GS group (60 points < GS ≤ 180 points, n = 160). The main statistical methods included Chi-squared test, non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results:

The PLR in the MACE group was significantly higher than that in the non-MACE group (179.43 [132.84, 239.74] vs. 116.11 [87.98, 145.45], Z = –8.109, P < 0.001). Further, there were significant differences in PLR among the tertiles of GS (110.05 [84.57, 139.06] vs. 119.78 [98.44, 157.98] vs. 140.00 [102.27, 191.83], H = 19.524, P < 0.001). PLR was demonstrated to be an independent risk factor of in-hospital MACEs (odds ratio [OR]: 1.012, 95% confidential interval [CI]: 1.006–1.018, P < 0.001) and severe CAD assessed by the GS (OR: 1.004, 95% CI: 1.002–1.009, P = 0.042). The cutoff value of PLR for predicting the development of in-hospital MACEs was 151.28 with a sensitivity of 66.7% and a specificity of 78.1% (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.786, 95% CI: 0.730–0.842, P < 0.001), and a PLR of 139.31 was also identified to be an effective cutoff point for detecting a high GS (>60 points) with a sensitivity of 49.4% and a specificity of 69.6% (AUC: 0.611, 95% CI: 0.556–0.666, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

PLR as a novel inflammatory marker is significantly and independently associated with the occurrence of in-hospital MACEs and the severity of CAD assessed by the GS in patients with AMI. As an easily available and inexpensive inflammatory indicator, PLR could be widely used as an efficient inflammatory biomarker for identifying high-risk patients and for individualizing targeted therapy to improve the prognosis of AMI.

Platelet/lymphocyte ratio for prediction of no-reflow phenomenon in ST-elevation myocardial infarction managed with primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Background

Coronary no-reflow phenomenon in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with a poor clinical outcome. Although its pathophysiology is not fully understood, a deregulated systemic inflammatory response plays an important role. We aimed to explore the relationship between platelet\lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and no-reflow in patients with acute STEMI who were treated with a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).

Methods

A total of 200 patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI were included in the study. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination was performed to assess left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and wall motion score index. Blood samples were assayed for platelet and lymphocyte count before PPCI. No-reflow was defined as coronary blood flow thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade ≤II.

Results

No-reflow was observed in 58 (29%) of STEMI patients following PPCI. PLR was significantly higher in hypertensive patients compared to normotensive patients (144.7±91.6 vs. 109.1±47.1, respectively, P<0.001) and in the no-reflow group compared to the normal reflow group (214±93 vs. 101.6±51.3, respectively, P<0.0001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that PLR (β: 0.485, 95% CI: -0.006-0.001, P<0.002) and LV EF (β: 0.272, 95% CI: 0.009-0.034, P<0.001) were independent predictors of no-reflow after PPCI.

Conclusion

Pre-procedural increase in PLR is predictive of the no-reflow phenomenon following PPCI in STEMI patients.

Relevance for Patients

No reflow phenomenon is an unfavorable complication following PPCI in patients with acute STEMI. High pre-procedural PLR is an independent predictor of reperfusion failure and helps to identify patients who require prophylactic treatment.

Usefulness of Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio to Predict Long-Term All-Cause Mortality in Patients at High Risk of Coronary Artery Disease Who Underwent Coronary Angiography

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has recently been studied as a biomarker in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). The association between PLR and long-term all-cause mortality is unclear in patients at high risk of CAD who undergo coronary angiography for various indications. Follow-up was completed for 514 patients who underwent coronary angiography in a prospective study cohort. The primary end point was all-cause mortality. Patients were classified into tertiles based on preangiography PLR and also dichotomized based on the optimal cutoff at a PLR of 137, determined from the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The mean follow-up period was 5.0 ± 1.3 years, with 50 all-cause deaths. On the Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients in Tertile 3 (PLR > 145) had worse prognosis than patients in Tertiles 1 (PLR ≤ 106) and 2 (PLR 106.1 to 145) (p = 0.0075), and patients with PLR ≥ 137 had a significantly higher rate of all-cause mortality than those with PLR < 137 (p = 0.0006). On multivariate Cox regression adjusting for known cardiovascular risk factors, PLR was a strong, independent predictor of long-term all-cause mortality on the tertile analysis (Tertile 3 vs Tertile 1: hazard ratio 2.52, 95% confidence interval 1.18 to 5.39, p = 0.017) and based on the cutoff at a PLR of 137 (PLR ≥ 137 vs <137: hazard ratio 2.25, 95% confidence interval 1.21 to 4.20, p = 0.011). In conclusion, elevated PLR is associated with long-term all-cause mortality in patients at high risk of CAD who undergo coronary angiography, and PLR may be a useful prognostic biomarker in this population.

Usefulness of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in predicting long-term cardiovascular mortality in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease

INTRODUCTION

Inflammation and increased platelet activation play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has recently been reported as a new independent predictor for major adverse cardiovascular events in cardiovascular diseases.

AIM

To investigate the relation between PLR and cardiovascular mortality in patients with intermittent claudication or critical limb ischemia (CLI) or both.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In our retrospective study, 602 consecutive patients who were admitted to a large tertiary hospital with the diagnosis of symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) were included. Patients were divided into two groups according to their PLR as follows: high PLR (PLR > 142) and low PLR (PLR ≤ 142) groups.

RESULTS

During the follow-up period (median: 33.8 months (interquartile range: 21-45)), 131 deaths occurred out of 602 (21.8%) patients. Cardiovascular mortality was found to be significantly higher in the high PLR group compared to the low PLR group (31.6% vs. 17.2 %; p < 0.001). Even after adjustment for various risk factors, PLR > 142 and age were found to be independent predictors of long-term cardiovascular mortality in Cox regression analysis (hazard ratios (95% confidence interval): 1.03 (1.01-1.04) and 1.04 (1.02-1.06), p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, which is one of the parameters of routine complete blood count, reflects increased inflammatory status, platelet activation and aggregation. PLR is a cheap and readily available marker that has the ability to improve risk stratification provided by conventional risk scores in predicting long-term cardiovascular mortality in PAOD.

Noninvasive Assessment of Coronary Arteries in Patients with Hematologic Disorders

Hematological conditions and their treatments have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, and invasive interventions have a higher risk of periprocedural complications in this group of patients. The aim of this review was to evaluate the risk of invasive interventions in patients with hematologic disorders and to underline the role of noninvasive cardiovascular screening in patients with hematological disorders such as Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, anemia, hemophilia, thrombocythemia, polycythemia vera, and leukemia. Based on present knowledge in the field, our opinion is that the screening of patients with hematological diseases is very important to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular events. Noninvasive assessments are suitable for this purpose with a significantly lower risk compared to invasive interventions.

Platelet index levels and cardiovascular mortality in incident peritoneal dialysis patients: a cohort study

Prior studies have shown that the levels of some platelet (PLT) indices were associated with mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis. We aimed to investigate whether the changes in PLT indices associated with mortality in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). A single-center, retrospective observational cohort study was conducted in incident PD patients from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2012, and followed up until 31 December 2014. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the relationships between the levels of PLT indices including PLT, plateletcrit (PCT), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet large cell ratio (PLCR), and mortality. Of 1324 patients, 276 (20.8%) died during follow-up (median, 37; IQR, 3-107.4 months), among which 134 were due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The highest tertile of PLT levels at baseline was associated with increased risk for cardiovascular mortality after adjustment for demographic, clinical characteristics, and laboratory variables (hazard ratio [HR]:1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-3.20). The similar treads were also observed in the middle and the highest tertile of the PCT level (HR: 1.68, 95%CI: 1.00-2.81 and HR: 1.89, 95%CI: 1.14-3.14, respectively). In addition, the highest tertile of PCT was associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR: 1.41, 95%CI: 1.01-1.96). However, none of the associations in MPV, PDW, and PLCR analyses reached statistical significance (HR: 0.71, 95%CI: 0.43-1.16; HR: 0.72, 95%CI: 0.45-1.18 and HR: 0.74, 95%CI: 0.46-1.19, respectively). These results suggest that higher PLT and PCT may be associated with higher risk for cardiovascular mortality in incident PD patients. Additional studies are needed to investigate whether correction of these two PLT indices reduces the risk.

The relation of platelet-lymphocyte ratio and coronary collateral circulation in patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction

Introduction

Recently, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has emerged as a significant inflammatory marker and a novel predictor of major adverse consequences in cardiovascular disease.

Aim

In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between PLR and coronary collateral circulation (CCC) in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

Material and methods

Clinical and laboratory data of 386 patients who underwent coronary angiography were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were classified into 2 groups as follows: poor CCC (group 1: Rentrop grades 0–1) and good CCC (group 2: Rentrop grades 2–3). The PLR was calculated from the complete blood count.

Results

The PLR values of the patients with poor CCC were significantly higher than those of patients with good CCC (153.9 ±26.6 vs. 129.8 ±23.5, p < 0.001). In the multiple logistic regression tests, PLR (odds ratio: 1.51, 95% confidence interval: 1.27–1.74; p < 0.001) and hs-CRP (odds ratio: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.03–2.11; p < 0.001) were found to be independent predictors of poor CCC. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis yielded a cutoff value of 140.5 for PLR to predict poor CCC with 79% sensitivity and 71% specificity, with the area under the ROC curve being 0.792 (95% CI: 0.721–0.864).

Conclusions

Our study revealed that high PLR is independently associated with poor coronary collateral circulation in patients with NSTEMI.

Platelet-lymphocyte ratio is an independent predictor for cardiovascular disease in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

There is a strong relationship between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Chronic intermittent hypoxia, inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction may constitute etiologic mechanisms, linking OSAS to CVD. Inflammation play an important role in the development of CVD. Platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is a new biomarker showing inflammation. No previous study has ever investigated the association between PLR, CVD and OSAS severity in patients with OSAS. This study was designed to investigate the association between PLR and CVD in patients with OSAS, and relationship between severity of OSAS, polysomnographic parameters and PLR. This was a cohort study in which patients who had undergone a full night polysomnoraphy for diagnosis of OSA were recruited. Patients were divided according to their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) scores into OSAS negative (Group 1: AHI < 5), mild (Group 2: AHI, 5-15), moderate (Group 3:AHI,15-30), and severe OSAS (Group 4: AHI > 30) groups. The presence of heart failure, coronary artery disease or arrhythmia was defined as CVD. A total of 424 patients were included in this study. There were 57, 93, 82, and 192 patients in Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. PLR were significantly different between groups (Group 1: 87.38; Group 2: 95.07; Group 3: 97.01, Group 4: 126.9, P < 0.05). PLR were significantly correlated with AHI, oxygen desaturation index, average and minimum O2 saturation values (P < 0.05). Values of PLR were significantly higher in patients with CVD compared with those without. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that PLR is an independent predictor of CVD. PLR cut-off value for demonstrating the presence of CVD is higher than 108.56. In the light oh findings, PLR is strongly associated with the severity of OSAS and cardiovascular disease in OSAS patients. PLR might be used as a biomarker to predict CVD in OSAS patients.

Association of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio with severity and complexity of coronary artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndromes

The SYNTAX score (SXscore) is an anatomic scoring system based on coronary angiography (CA) that not only quantifies lesion severity and complexity but also predicts poor cardiovascular outcomes, including mortality, in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Recent studies have shown that platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is associated with worse outcomes in many cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of PLR with the severity and complexity of coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by the SXscore in patients with ACS who underwent urgent CA. A total of 1,016 patients with ACS who underwent urgent CA were included in the study from August 2012 to March 2014. Admission PLR values were calculated before CA was performed. The SXscore was determined from baseline CA. The patients were divided into 2 groups, those with low SXscores (≤22) and those with intermediate to high SXscores (≥23). PLRs were significantly higher in patients with intermediate to high SXscores compared with those with low SXscores (p<0.001). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the groups with high PLR and intermediate to high SXscores. In multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of intermediate to high SXscore were PLR (odds ratio 1.018, 95% confidence interval 1.013 to 1.023, p<0.001) together with the left ventricular ejection fraction (odds ratio 0.935, 95% confidence interval 0.910 to 0.960, p<0.001), and age (odds ratio 1.029, 95% confidence interval 1.029 to 1.054, p=0.02). A PLR≥116 had 71% sensitivity and 66% specificity in predicting intermediate to high SXscore. In conclusion, the PLR at admission is significantly associated with the severity and complexity of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with ACS. Increased PLR is an independent predictor of higher SXscore in patients with ACS who undergo urgent CA.

Prevalence of thrombocytosis in critically ill patients and its association with symptomatic acute pulmonary embolism. A multicentre registry study

It is uncertain whether thrombocytosis without underlying myeloproliferative diseases is associated with an increased risk of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). We investigated the relationship between thrombocytosis and risk of symptomatic acute PE, and whether Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) was reliable in predicting mortality of acute PE. This multicentre registry study involved a total of 609,367 critically ill patients admitted to 160 intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia or New Zealand between 2006 and 2011. Forward stepwise logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between risk of acute PE and platelet counts on intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Acute PE (n=3387) accounted for 0.9% of all emergency ICU admissions. Over 20% of all PE required mechanical ventilation, 4.2% had cardiac arrest, and the mortality was high (14.8%). Thrombocytosis, defined by a platelet count >500x10⁹ per litre, occurred in 2.1% of the patients and was more common in patients with acute PE than other diagnoses (3.4 vs. 2.0%). The platelet counts explained about 4.5% of the variability and had a linear relationship with the risk of acute PE (odds ratio 1.19 per 100x10⁹ per litre increment in platelet count, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.34), after adjusting for other covariates. The PESI had a reasonable discriminative ability (area under receiver-operating-characteristic curve = 0.78) and calibration to predict mortality across a wide range of severity of acute PE. In summary, thrombocytosis was associated with an increased risk of symptomatic acute PE. PESI was useful in predicting mortality across a wide range of severity of acute PE.

Reactive thrombocytosis and risk of subsequent venous thromboembolism: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

It is uncertain whether reactive thrombocytosis is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism. This study assessed the incidence of reactive thrombocytosis, defined as platelet count ≥ 500 × 10(9)  L(-1) , at intensive care unit discharge and its association with subsequent venous thromboembolism.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This cohort study involved linkage of routinely collected intensive care unit, laboratory, radiology and death registry data of critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit between January 2009 and March 2010. The census date for survival and radiologically confirmed venous thromboembolism was 31 October 2011. Of the 1446 patients who survived to intensive care unit discharge, 139 patients had reactive thrombocytosis (9.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.2-11.2%). Twenty-nine patients developed venous thromboembolism after discharge (2%, 95% CI 1.4-2.9%; 67 per 100 person-years, 95% CI 45-97) and the median time to develop venous thromboembolism was 25 days (interquartile range 8-148). Reactive thrombocytosis was associated with an increased risk of subsequent venous thromboembolism (hazard ratio 5.3, 95% CI 1.7-16.4), after adjusting for other covariates. Platelet counts explained about 34% of the variability in the risk of venous thromboembolism and had a relatively linear relationship with the risk of venous thromboembolism when the platelet counts were > 400 × 10(9)  L(-1) . Venous thromboembolism after intensive care unit discharge was associated with an increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.9), after adjusting for reactive thrombocytosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Reactive thrombocytosis during the recovery phase of critical illness was associated with an increased risk of subsequent venous thromboembolism.

Thrombin and vascular inflammation

Vascular endothelium is a key regulator of homeostasis. In physiological conditions it mediates vascular dilatation, prevents platelet adhesion, and inhibits thrombin generation. However, endothelial dysfunction caused by physical injury of the vascular wall, for example during balloon angioplasty, acute or chronic inflammation, such as in atherothrombosis, creates a proinflammatory environment which supports leukocyte transmigration toward inflammatory sites. At the same time, the dysfunction promotes thrombin generation, fibrin deposition, and coagulation. The serine protease thrombin plays a pivotal role in the coagulation cascade. However, thrombin is not only the key effector of coagulation cascade; it also plays a significant role in inflammatory diseases. It shows an array of effects on endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, monocytes, and platelets, all of which participate in the vascular pathophysiology such as atherothrombosis. Therefore, thrombin can be considered as an important modulatory molecule of vascular homeostasis. This review summarizes the existing evidence on the role of thrombin in vascular inflammation.