Patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia lacking platelet glycoprotein alpha(IIb)beta(3) (GPIIb/IIIa) and alpha(v)beta(3) receptors are not protected from atherosclerosis.
BACKGROUND
Platelets have been suggested to play a role in the early development of atherosclerosis. As one test of this hypothesis, we assessed whether patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia who lack platelet glycoprotein alpha(IIb)beta(3) (GPIIb/IIIa) complexes or both alpha(IIb)beta(3) and the more ubiquitous alpha(v)beta(3) cell membrane complexes are protected from development of atherosclerosis.


RESULTS
Seven patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia, 45 to 66 years of age, underwent bilateral carotid artery ultrasonography and screening for risk factors of atherosclerosis. Findings consistent with early atherosclerosis evaluated by measurement of intima-media thickness and presence of atherosclerotic plaques were observed in 6 of the 7 patients. Intima-media thickness values higher than the 75th and 90th percentiles of age- and sex-matched white control subjects of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study were observed in 30 and 8 of 56 carotid artery measurements, respectively. Five of the 6 patients with signs consistent with early atherosclerosis lacked both alpha(IIb)beta(3) and alpha(v)beta(3) complexes and 1 only lacked alpha(IIb)beta(3).


CONCLUSIONS
Glanzmann thrombasthenia does not protect affected individuals from development of atherosclerosis.
Shpilberg
O
O
Institute of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Rabi
I
I
Schiller
K
K
Walden
R
R
Harats
D
D
Tyrrell
K S
KS
Coller
B
B
Seligsohn
U
U
D000368:Aged; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D008875:Middle Aged; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors / Q000235:genetics; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019030:Receptors, Vitronectin; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D013915:Thrombasthenia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D044465:White People
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex; D019030:Receptors, Vitronectin; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)