Saliva Of Tick Causes Blood Clotting and Helps Fight Heart Disease and Stroke

A new study highlights that tick saliva may help fight heart diseases and stroke.

The study published in the journal Circulation is based on the protein discovered in the spit of the ixodes ticks that are also referred to as blacklegged ticks or deer ticks.

Black legged ticks stick to the host skin and feed on blood for 3-5 days.  They are slow feeders. They damage the small blood vessels that cause the body to kick start the process of coagulation also known as blood clotting.

The process of clotting is crucial in a way as it stops bleeding. It plays an important role in strokes as well as heart attacks.

When the ticks bite they spit and this saliva contains a protein that hinders the body's natural clotting process. This works similar to blood thinners or anticoagulants.

An interesting find made by the researchers in this study is that the two different clotting factors referred to as factor X and factor V that get blocked due to the saliva of the tick, start functioning together and activate a third clotting element. This eventually causes the clotting process to begin.

The scientists of the study published online in the American Heart Association, were aware of the coagulation factors that activate factor V but were not aware that factor X was equally crucial in this process.

The authors conclude, "The result is a new model for blood coagulation, which is an important discovery for our understanding of how clots are formed, why certain anti-clotting drugs help and how new drugs could be developed."