title: Circulating platelet-leukocyte aggregates in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis are considered to be chronic inflammatory disorders implicated with recurrent tissue damage to the intestine. There is a positive correlation between platelet-leukocyte aggregates and ischemic vascular risk. There are limited data about the relationship between platelet-leukocyte aggregates and IBD. This study was designed to determine whether platelet-leukocyte aggregates increase in IBD, and whether a relationship exists between the elevation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates and disease activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 20 patients with IBD (16 with ulcerative colitis and 4 with Crohn's disease) and 20 healthy controls participated in our study. Nine patients were in active-phase IBD, whereas 11 patients were in inactive phase. To show the presence of thrombocyte aggregates, the monoclonal antibodies such as Isotype IgG1 mouse antihuman CD42b-PE (phycoerythrin) (Beckman Coulter IMI417), Isotype IgG1 mouse antihuman CD45-FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate) (Beckman Coulter IM0782), and Isotype IgG2a mouse antihuman CD45RO-FITC (Beckman Coulter IMI247) were used. Additionally, the values of platelet-neutrophil aggregates were measured in peripheral blood samples using flow cytometry techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of platelet-leukocyte aggregates in blood samples were found to be significantly higher during both the active and inactive phases in patients with IBD. There were no statistically significant differences between active-phase and inactive-phase patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We determined that the patient group had significantly higher platelet-leukocyte aggregate levels compared with the control group. This finding suggests that platelet-leukocyte aggregates may play a role in the development of IBD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Histology and Embryology, Karadeniz Technical University, Medical Faculty, Trabzon, Turkey. ytekeli61@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tekelioğlu
authors.forename: Hikmet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uzun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010974:Platelet Aggregation