… Nevertheless, the hemostatic system is well known for its capacity to exert a multitude of
actions on the vasculature, which may influence the molecular and cellular composition of
the arterial wall and presumably of the atherosclerotic plaque. This review covers recent
advances in this field and discusses mechanisms of hemostasis as potential modulators of
plaque phenotype. … We have summarized the potential array of actions of hemostasis in
relation to the phenotype of the atherosclerotic vascular wall, presumably linked to plaque …

To the Editor: In their review article (May 5 issue), 1 Borisoff et al. describe the role of
hemostatic mechanisms as potential modulators of atherosclerotic plaque phenotype.
Although they describe the role of thrombin as a critical mediator in the processes of
coagulation, inflammation, and maintenance of vessel walls and even as an anticoagulant
molecule, they provide no information regarding the contribution of the thrombin-activatable
fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) in these processes. TAFI is a procarboxypeptidase that on …