Platelet Activation is Upregulated in Cirrhotic Patients with Portal Vein Thrombosis

Fazhi Zhao; Jingnuo Ding; Juanjuan Cui; Mingqing Zhu; Weifeng Zhao

doi:10.1055/a-2190-8705

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 2024; 124(08): 739-752
DOI: 10.1055/a-2190-8705

Cellular Haemostasis and Platelets

Platelet Activation is Upregulated in Cirrhotic Patients with Portal Vein Thrombosis

Fazhi Zhao^*

¹Department of Gastric Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China

,

Jingnuo Ding ^*

²Department of General Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China

,

Juanjuan Cui

³Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China

,

Mingqing Zhu

⁴National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China

,

Weifeng Zhao

³Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Objective Platelet plays a key role in thrombosis formation, especially that the alteration of platelet function may influence the thrombosis development. This study aimed to investigate platelet function alterations in the formation of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in cirrhosis.

Methods Cirrhotic patients admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between October 2021 and April 2023 were recruited and divided into PVT and non-PVT groups according to radiological results. Clinical parameters and prognosis were also collected and assessed to identify potential risk factors. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD62p, CD63, monocyte–platelet aggregates (MPAs), neutrophil–platelet aggregates (NPAs), and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF-Ag) to evaluate platelet activation and adhesion function.

Results A total of 145 subjects were enrolled in our study including 60 cirrhotic PVT patients, 60 cirrhotic non-PVT patients, and 25 healthy volunteers. Multivariate analysis suggested that esophageal gastric varices, splenectomy, and D-dimer were independent risk factors for PVT pathogenesis in cirrhosis. The vWF-Ag expression level was reduced in the PVT group compared with the non-PVT group (p = 0.046) but was not an independent risk factor for PVT formation pathogenesis. The expression of CD41⁺CD62p⁺ and CD41⁺CD63⁺ platelets in the PVT group was significantly elevated compared with that in the non-PVT group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in MPAs and NPAs between the two cirrhotic groups. Subgroup analysis showed that the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD62p and CD63 was associated with portal hypertension-related complications (p = 0.008, p < 0.001), and CD63 MFI was significantly associated with thrombosis burden (p = 0.019). CD41⁺CD62p⁺ and CD41⁺CD63⁺ platelets as well as MPAs and NPAs were highly expressed in the splenectomy group compared with those in the nonsplenectomy group in cirrhotic patients (p < 0.05). Positive correlations were found between CD62p MFI and CD63 MFI, MPAs and NPAs (r = 0.642, p < 0.001; r = 0.378, p = 0.003; r = 0.430, p < 0.001). In addition, platelet counts were also correlated with MPAs (r = 0.556, p < 0.001) and NPAs (r = 0.467, p < 0.001). Cirrhotic patients with PVT had higher mortality and were more likely to experience portal hypertension-related complications in the prognostic analysis (p < 0.05).

Conclusion Highly activated platelet function exists in patients with cirrhosis, and platelet activation was elevated during PVT formation, suggesting that activated platelets may participate in the formation of PVT in patients with cirrhosis.

Keywords

portal vein thrombosis - cirrhosis - platelet function - CD62p - CD63

Full Text

References

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