Possible pathogenetic role of activated platelets in the primary antiphospholipid syndrome involving the central nervous system.
Neurological disorders occurring in the primary antiphospholipid syndrome (neuro-PAPS) have not yet been completely understood. Platelet activation has been suggested to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of hemostatic disorders in the antiphospholipid syndrome, but no association with neuro-PAPS has been investigated so far. Therefore, we investigated 16 patients with PAPS by flow cytometry in the presence of circulating activated platelets as defined by the surface expression of activation-dependent glycoprotein CD62. In addition, the relationship among activated platelets and anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) was evaluated. Compared to normal subjects CD62 was found significantly increased in these patients. Furthermore, a significantly increased percentage of CD62-positive platelets was found in the neuro-PAPS group (nine patients) compared to the non-neuro-PAPS patients (seven subjects). On the contrary, no significant difference was found between the two groups with regard to aCL IgG and platelet number. Furthermore, within the neuro-PAPS group, no difference was evidenced, in the CD62-positive platelet percentage, between the four subjects with thrombocytopenia and the five with the normal blood platelet count. Similarly, neuro-PAPS subjects with previous peripheral arterial and/or venous thrombosis did not show a significantly more elevated level of CD62-positive platelets. Finally, a linear correlation was found between the aCL IgG level and the CD62-positive platelet percentage in all the patients and, more significantly, in the neuro-PAPS group, but not within the non-neuro-PAPS patients. Our data demonstrate that circulating activated platelets are detectable by flow cytometry in the majority of PAPS patients and suggest the existence of a relationship among activated platelets, aCL, and neurological disease that patients affected by PAPS might undergo.
Emmi
L
L
Institute of Internal Medicine and Immunoallergology, University of Florence Medical School, Italy. mcberga@mbox.vol.it
Bergamini
C
C
Spinelli
A
A
Liotta
F
F
Marchione
T
T
Caldini
A
A
Fanelli
A
A
De Cristofaro
M T
MT
Dal Pozzo
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000032:analysis; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor / Q000032:analysis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D016682:Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor