title: Plasma concentrations of plbatelet-specific proteins in coronary artery disease.
abstract: The plasma concentrations of beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) were measured in 100 patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD) and in 40 controls. 18 patients had had coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS), 25 patients were on therapy with beta-blocking agents and 19 were treated with oral anticoagulants. 38 patients with CAD received neither CABS nor beta-blocking or anticoagulating drugs. The highest plasma concentrations of beta-TG and PF4 were found in the patient group without medical or surgical treatment (patients versus controls: p less 0.01). Patients with CABS showed beta-TG and PF4 levels within the normal range. Patients with beta-blocking agents also had lower beta-TG and PF4 values than the patient group without therapy (p less than 0.05). By contrast, patients on oral anticoagulation therapy presented with similar plasma concentrations of beta-TG and PF4 as untreated patients. Our data indicate that surgical or medical treatment with beta-blocking agents, but not with oral anticoagulants, may have some influence on platelet function in patients with CAD. beta-TG and PF4 radioimmunoassay may be a simple method to study platelet involvement in various diseases and to evaluate possible influences of medical of surgical treatment on in vivo platelet function.
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000032:analysis*; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010978:Platelet Factor 4 / Q000032:analysis*; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000925:Anticoagulants; D001609:Beta-Globulins; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin; D010978:Platelet Factor 4