Title: platelet-activating factor
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - platelet-activating factor
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.13581
Status: current

Definition
Alkyl phospholipid released by a variety of cell types including mast cells and basophils, which has immunoregulatory effects on lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages, as well as causing platelet aggregation and degranulation.

Related Terms
- basophils: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/12943
- degranulation: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13084
- lymphocytes: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13399
- macrophages: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13424
- mast cells: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13442
- monocytes: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13467
- platelet: https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/13580

Source
- PAC, 2012, 84, 1113. 'IUPAC glossary of terms used in immunotoxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2012)' on page 1230 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-11-06-03)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13581/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13581/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/13581/xml

Citation: Citation: 'platelet-activating factor' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.13581
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-05-08T06:48:10+00:00