Abstract
Nucleic acids (NAs) constitute the backbone of cellular life permitting conservation,
transmission, and execution of genetic information. In the past few years, new unexpected
functions for NAs, projecting them also beyond nuclear and cellular boundaries have
been recognized: circulating cell-free nucleic acids (cfNAs), histones, DNA–histone
complexes, microRNAs (miRs) may have a regulatory role in physiological and pathological
processes. In particular, several lines of evidence suggest that they can constitute
unconventional mediators of thrombus formation, intervening both in hemostasis and
thrombosis. Furthermore, in the past decade, the possibility to detect and quantify
these in plasma and/or in serum has led to their ancillary use as potential markers
in various medical conditions. The use of these as markers within the fields of thrombosis
and hemostasis looks promising: the potential implications include the possibility
to assess patients' risk profiles for thrombotic events and the identification of
more directed targets for pharmacologic intervention. The major impediment is that,
to date, the methods by which NAs are explored, still largely differ between published
studies and standardized procedures are still lacking. Future research should focus
on the physiological mechanisms underlying the activities of such mediators in specific
thrombotic conditions and on the definition of reliable methods for their quantification
in biological fluids.
Keywords
circulating nucleic acids - hemostasis - DNA–histone complexes - histones - microRNAs
