title: Flow cytometric detection of activated platelets in pregnant women prior to the development of pre-eclampsia.
abstract: Pre-eclampsia is a common complication of pregnancy, in which platelets may have an early pathogenetic role. In this prospective study a whole blood flow cytometric method has been used to detect circulating activated platelets in pregnant women prior to the development of pre-eclampsia. Activated platelets were identified by bound fibrinogen or by CD63 antigen expression. Of 121 healthy primiparous women studied at 28 weeks of pregnancy, 18 (15%) developed clinical pre-eclampsia six to thirteen weeks later. The platelets of these women showed increased fibrinogen binding ex vivo (5.1% platelets positive, compared with 3.4% in those who completed a normal pregnancy, p < 0.02), and increased CD63 antigen expression (0.73% positive compared to 0.45%, p = 0.01). In contrast, no differences between the women with different outcomes were detected at 28 weeks in platelet counts, or plasma beta-thromboglobulin levels. These findings confirm that whole blood flow cytometry is a sensitive technique for investigating platelet activation in a clinical setting and support the hypothesis that platelets have a critical role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Haematology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Janes
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kyle
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Redman
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Goodall
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D015539:Platelet Activation; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060149:Tetraspanin 30
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C554586:CD63 protein, human; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D060149:Tetraspanin 30