title: Glanzmann thrombasthenia: integrin alpha IIb beta 3 deficiency.
abstract: Integrins, a family of noncovalently associated alpha beta heterodimeric adhesion receptors, are involved in a variety of pathological and physiological processes. The importance of integrins is evident in the severe pathogenic consequences of their congenital deficiencies: Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) and leukocyte adhesion deficiency. In this review, I have focused on GT, a rare autosomal recessive bleeding disorder characterized by the quantitative and/or qualitative abnormality of integrin alpha IIb beta 3 (glycoprotein IIb-IIIa). Molecular genetic analysis of GT, when caused by a quantitative abnormality of alpha IIb beta 3, provides important information regarding key structures for alpha IIb beta 3 biosynthesis. Of particular interest is GT when caused by a qualitative abnormality of alpha IIb beta 3 (GT variants). The analyses of GT variants provide new insight into the regulation of alpha IIb beta 3 function and the interaction between alpha IIb beta 3 and its ligands. This research could contribute to new and better alpha IIb beta 3 antagonists with minimal complications (such as bleeding and thrombocytopenia) for the prevention and treatment of pathological thrombosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. yoshi@hp-blood.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomiyama
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D020125:Mutation, Missense / Q000502:physiology; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D013915:Thrombasthenia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex