title: Age related changes in platelet lipid composition.
abstract: Platelet lipid composition was investigated in 52 healthy subjects aged 20 to 68 years with similar dietary habits and living in a narrow geographic area in order to search possible changes referrable to aging. No significant variations were observed when platelet cholesterol, total phospholipids and different phospholipid fractions were considered, whereas cholesterol/phospholipid (C/PL) molar ratio significantly increased with aging (p less than 0.01). Moreover, a significant increase in 16:0 + 16:1 fatty acids was found in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and in sphingomyelin (SP) (r = 0.62, p less than 0.001 and r = 0.30, p less than 0.05 respectively) and a decrease in 18:2 n6 in the phospholipid fractions considered (at least p less than 0.05). These results indicate that modifications in platelet lipid composition occur with aging and that they could affect platelet functions so playing a role in the onset of atherosclerosis and in thrombotic phenomena occurring with increasing frequency in the elderly.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000032:analysis*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D012907:Smoking; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol