title: Evidence for a storage pool defect in platelets from cirrhotic patients with defective aggregation.
abstract: The mechanisms underlying the defective platelet function in cirrhotic patients were investigated. Eleven cirrhotic patients with mild disease (group 1), 20 patients with severe cirrhosis (group 2), and 31 controls were studied. Platelet aggregation was significantly reduced in cirrhotics compared with controls. Compared with controls, cirrhotic patients in group 2 showed a significant reduction in the total content of adenosine triphosphate (57.8 +/- 7.8 vs. 26.1 +/- 6.3 mumol/10(11) platelets; P less than 0.05), 5-hydroxytryptamine (285 +/- 26 vs. 104 +/- 38 nmol/10(11) platelets; P less than 0.05), beta-thromboglobulin (2129 +/- 120 vs. 1223 +/- 161 ng/10(8) platelets; P less than 0.01), and platelet factor 4 (1389 +/- 108 vs. 805 +/- 176 ng/10(8) platelets; P less than 0.05). In patients with severe disease, an increase in plasma beta-thromboglobulin-platelet factor 4 ratio, an index of in vivo platelet activation, was observed (controls, 3.50 +/- 0.50; group 1, 4.02 +/- 0.80; and group 2, 6.59 +/- 1.15). Our data indicate the existence of a platelet storage pool defect, which may favor the bleeding tendency of cirrhotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Medica II, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laffi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gresele
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bartolini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simoni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Selli
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Nenci
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001791:Blood Platelet Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D010978:Platelet Factor 4 / Q000032:analysis; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin; D012701:Serotonin; D010978:Platelet Factor 4; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate