Protein kinase C ε expression in platelets from patients with acute myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
Platelets play crucial roles in the pathophysiology of thrombosis and myocardial infarction. Protein kinase C ε (PKCε) is virtually absent in human platelets and its expression is precisely regulated during human megakaryocytic differentiation. On the basis of what is known on the role of platelet PKCε in other species, we hypothesized that platelets from myocardial infarction patients might ectopically express PKCε with a pathophysiological role in the disease.


RESULTS
We therefore studied platelet PKCε expression from 24 patients with myocardial infarction, 24 patients with stable coronary artery disease and 24 healthy subjects. Indeed, platelets from myocardial infarction patients expressed PKCε with a significant frequency as compared to both stable coronary artery disease and healthy subjects. PKCε returned negative during patient follow-up. The forced expression of PKCε in normal donor platelets significantly increased their response to adenosine diphosphate-induced activation and adhesion to subendothelial collagen.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that platelet generations produced before the acute event retain PKCε-mRNA that is not down-regulated during terminal megakaryocyte differentiation. Results are discussed in the perspective of peri-infarctual megakaryocytopoiesis as a critical component of myocardial infarction pathophysiology.
Department of Biomedical, Biotechnological and Translational Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Cecilia
C
Carubbi
Prisco
P
Mirandola
Maria
M
Mattioli
Daniela
D
Galli
Nicola
N
Marziliano
Piera Angelica
PA
Merlini
Daniela
D
Lina
Francesca
F
Notarangelo
Maria Rita
MR
Cozzi
Marco
M
Gesi
Diego
D
Ardissino
Luigi
L
De Marco
Marco
M
Vitale
Giuliana
G
Gobbi
D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000201:enzymology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D015539:Platelet Activation; D051744:Protein Kinase C-epsilon / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D051744:Protein Kinase C-epsilon