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Thromb Haemost 1997; 78(06): 1434-1437
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1665429
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Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Platelet Activation Markers in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease

A Prospective Comparison of Different Platelet Function Tests
Paolo Gresele
1   Institute of Internal Medicine and Vascular Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy
,
Mariella Catalano
2   The Department of Medicine, University of Milano, Italy
,
Carlo Giammarresi
3   The Department of Medicine, University of Chieti, Italy
,
Raul Volpato
1   Institute of Internal Medicine and Vascular Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy
,
Rosanna Termini
3   The Department of Medicine, University of Chieti, Italy
,
Giovanni Ciabattoni
4   Institute of Pharmacology, Catholic University of Rome, Italy
,
Giuseppe G Nenci
1   Institute of Internal Medicine and Vascular Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy
,
Giovanni Davì
3   The Department of Medicine, University of Chieti, Italy
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 20 1997

Accepted after resubmission 18 June 1997

Publication Date:
12 July 2018 (online)

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Summary

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is an indicator of diffuse atherosclerosis and is associated with a greatly increased incidence of coronary heart and cerebrovascular disease. Although several studies have assessed whether in vivo platelet activation takes place in patients with PVD, no data are available comparing different platelet function tests in this patient population.

We have compared prospectively four tests for the measurement of in vivo platelet activation (plasma βTG, plasma PF4, intraplatelet (βTG and urinary excretion of 11-dehydro-TXB2) and one in vitro platelet function test (ADP-induced platelet aggregation) in 63 well-characterized patients with intermittent claudication and in 18 age- and sex- matched healthy volunteers.

No statistically significant difference was found between patients and controls for plasma βTG (20.0 ± 11.8 vs. 18.8 ± 9.0 ng/ml, respectively), plasma PF4 (5.2 ± 2.9 vs. 6.3 ± 3.5 ng/ml), βTG/PF4 ratio (4.0 ± 2.9 vs. 3.6 ± 1.8), intraplatelet pTG (4503 ± 1482 vs. 4059 ± 1065 ng/ml), and threshold aggregatory concentration of ADP (1.7 ± 0.72 vs. 1.45 ± 0.56 μM).

Urinary 11-dehydro-TXB2 was instead significantly higher in the PVD group (55.4 ± 27.5 vs. 26.7 ± 7.0 ng/h, p <0.001).

Our study shows that urinary 11-dehydro-TXB2 is a more sensitive index of in vivo platelet activation than the measurement of either platelet specific proteins or of in vitro platelet aggregation in patients with PVD.

 

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