Does smoking affect thrombocytopoiesis and platelet activation in women and men?
OBJECTIVE
Smoking is a significant risk factor of cardiac ischaemia. Changes in platelet count, morphology and platelet activation enhance the risk.


METHODS
The objective of the study was to assess platelet parameters in smoking healthy subjects with reference to sex. In the group of women, 27% were smokers, in the group of men--49%. All the subjects were tested for platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), percentage of large platelets (L(PLT)), concentrations of beta-thromboglobulin, sP-selectin (soluble) and thrombopoietin, percentage of reticulated platelets (RP) and absolute count of reticulated platelet.


RESULTS
Lower platelet count (237.00 +/- 39.52 vs 258.34 +/- 40.81 x 10(9)/l, p = 0.0002), higher percentage of reticulated platelets (1.39 +/- 0 .66 vs 1.04 +/- 0.35%, p = 0.04) and higher concentration of sP-selectin (52.66 +/- 18.54 vs 43.94 +/- 17.14 ng/ml, p = 0.03) were observed only in the group of smoking women, compared to non-smokers. In neither of the sexes smoking had an effect on the following parameters: mean platelet volume, percentage of large platelets, concentration of thrombopoietin, absolute count of reticulated platelet and concentration of beta1 -thromboglobulin.


CONCLUSIONS
The results allow the hypothesis that women are more sensitive to smoking than men. Platelets in male smokers are less sensitive to smoking--the study showed no significant changes in the parameters.
Butkiewicz
A M
AM
Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Białystok ul. Waszyngtona 15A, 15-274 Białystok, Poland. annabutkiewicz@wp.pl
Kemona-Chetnik
I
I
Dymicka-Piekarska
V
V
Matowicka-Karna
J
J
Kemona
H
H
Radziwon
P
P
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000379:methods; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D034061:Thrombopoiesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000097:blood; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000378:metabolism
D019007:P-Selectin; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin; D013926:Thrombopoietin