A number of exciting new developments have occurred during the last few years concerning the platelet-vessel wall interaction. Although they may be obvious and clear to the specialist in the field, for the clinician the area has become rather confusing. Time has come to review current knowledge on the pathophysiology of the platelet-vessel wall interaction and show how this knowledge can constitute the rationale for pharmacotherapeutic interventions. A symposium was organized in Antwerp during which a number of outstanding speakers gave an overview of what is new on a particular topic and how...

The rapid development in the knowledge about the synthesis and metabolism of the various products derived from arachidonic acid is a continuous chal- lenge for those who intend to measure these substances in biological fluids. The confusion which still exists about their possible role in some physiolo- gical and pathological situations is partly due to the methodological pro- blems related to the estimation of these metabol ites in subnanogram quanti- ties. This concern has inspired the Commission of the European Communities to sponsor a first workshop on the "Clinical Application of Assay...