title: The release of beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4 during extracorporeal circulation for open heart surgery.
abstract: Cardiopulmonary bypass is extremely damaging to platelets and it causes a quantitative and qualitative alteration in their functions. We evaluated the release of two platelet-specific proteins, beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4), in patients who underwent extracorporeal circulation for open heart surgery. A parallel release (basal value beta TG: 119.6 ng/ml, PF4 30 ng/ml) was present for both proteins in a time dependent fashion until the end of extracorporeal circulation. High average levels were observed in patients in whom the bypass was stopped after about 1 h (beta TG 1606 ng/ml, PF4 745 ng/ml) and similarly in those in whom the bypass was stopped after about 2 h (beta TG 1540 ng/ml, PF 4754 ng/ml). No correlation was found either between the level of PF4 and the additional heparin administered after the initial standard dose (r = 0.29, P greater than 0.10) and between the level of PF4 and the amount of heparin consumed during the bypass (r = 0.05, P greater than 0.5).
mesh_terms: D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count; D010978:Platelet Factor 4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001609:Beta-Globulins; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin; D010978:Platelet Factor 4; D006493:Heparin