Lipid composition of platelets in patients with uremia.
OBJECTIVE
The lipid composition of platelets and the function of these cells in patients with uremia were studied.


METHODS
Fourteen patients and 14 normal volunteers were studied. Platelet lipids including phospholipids and cholesterol, as well as the platelet aggregation response to agonists, were studied.


RESULTS
The amount of platelet phospholipids was decreased in patients compared to controls (338.0 +/- 79 vs. 511.6 +/- 125 nmol/10(9) cells; p < 0.001), while the percentage of the five main specimens of these compounds was normal. The content of platelet cholesterol in patients (97.8 +/- 17.0 microg/10(9) cells) was similar to that in controls (91.7 +/- 26.0 microg/10(9) cells). Consequently, the cholesterol:phospholipid ratio in uremic platelets was increased (0.75 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.46 +/- 0.1; p < 0.01). Although this feature is associated with hyperreactive platelets, the aggregation tests were defective for adenosin diphosphate (p < 0.01), arachidonic acid (p < 0.01), epinephrine (p < 0.01) and collagen (p < 0.001). This behavior is probably due to the multifactorial platelet defect described in uremia.
Vecino
A
A
Department of Hematology, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Navarro-Antolín
J
J
Teruel
J
J
Navarro
J
J
Cesar
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood*; D014511:Uremia / Q000097:blood*
D010743:Phospholipids; D002784:Cholesterol