Platelet and Immunity in Transfusion Medicine

Platelets are classically used in the clinic to maintain hemostasis, while recent evidence has shown the important role for platelets in the host inflammatory and immune responses. In fact, platelets in vivo produce different mediators such as cytokines or chemokines, which may be involved in the course of disease treatment, thus platelets transfusion is often an effective therapy in many cases. It is well known that platelets can regulate neu - trophils, lymphocytes and other immune cells behavior in immune response, thus direct-ing these immune cells onto the damaged tissues, organs or infected sites. On the other hand, platelets can induce neutrophil extracellular traps release in response to bacterial or viral infection. All the characterized novel profile of platelet, if not all, at least in some situations, should be take into consideration when platelets have to be transfused into patients.