title: Spontaneous platelet aggregation in Kawasaki disease using the particle counting method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Platelet aggregation is generally measured by the optical density method. This method is not very sensitive in detecting platelet activation because of the poor correlation between the formation of platelet aggregates and light transmission, and inability to detect small platelet aggregates. Recently, a new method was developed that detects small platelet aggregates formed in the early phase of platelet aggregation by means of a particle counting technique using light scattering.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study used the particle counting method to measure spontaneous platelet aggregation (SPA) produced by agitation with a stirrer bar without agonists in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) and children's thrombotic disease, and compared the results with the conventional optical density method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using the particle counting method, significantly higher SPA rates were found before treatment than in healthy adults and at the other stages of treatment. A similar tendency was noted with the optical density method; however, the positive rate of SPA was significantly higher with the particle counting method in each stage except the second stage, which was the period from the start of gamma-globulin therapy to 20 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that enhanced platelet aggregation is noted at a high frequency before treatment of KD and that the particle counting method is superior to the optical density method in detecting enhanced platelet aggregation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. m2taki@marianna-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taki
authors.forename: Miwako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Chiai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohi
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Kenjiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aso
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D010979:Platelet Function Tests / Q000379:methods