Coagulation and platelet adhesion-inducing factor in the endothelium of the retinal vessels.

By means of an immunofluorescent technique, we found factors promoting blood coagulation and platelet adhesion in the intima of retinal vessels. These factors coexisted with other agents causing the opposite process, fibrin dissolution. The components of this vascular hemostatic balance are possibly involved in the thrombotic occlusion of the retinal vessels, their canalization, and in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy.