The evidence of platelet activation in bronchial asthma.
The possible involvement of platelets in bronchial asthma was investigated under three different conditions: (1) chronic asthma, (2) bronchial provocation inhaling house dust mite (HDM), and (3) status asthmaticus. Plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG), platelet factor 4 (PF4), and in part, platelet-activating factor (PAF) were measured. Approximately one third of the subjects with symptomatic or asymptomatic chronic asthma showed an increased level of beta-TG or PF4. Statistically significant differences occurred in beta-TG and PF4 levels only between healthy controls and symptomatic subjects. Five out of six subjects showed no elevation of beta-TG and PF4 during immediate asthmatic response. In two out of nine subjects with status asthmaticus, beta-TG or PF4 was elevated, and statistically significant correlations occurred between the initial level of PAF and that of beta-TG or PF4. Those results suggest that the platelet activation in the circulation is sometimes provoked in asthma, but plasma level of alpha-granule-derived proteins does not reflect the intensity or severity of asthma, and that PAF is likely to be a mediator responsible for the platelet activation.
Yamamoto
H
H
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Saitama Medical School, Japan.
Nagata
M
M
Tabe
K
K
Kimura
I
I
Kiuchi
H
H
Sakamoto
Y
Y
Yamamoto
K
K
Dohi
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests / Q000379:methods; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000032:analysis; D015539:Platelet Activation; D010978:Platelet Factor 4 / Q000032:analysis; D013224:Status Asthmaticus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000032:analysis
D010972:Platelet Activating Factor; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin; D010978:Platelet Factor 4