title: Coated-platelet levels are persistently elevated in patients with mild traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Coated-platelets are procoagulant platelets that are elevated in patients with large-vessel ischemic stroke and are associated with stroke recurrence. Because of recent reports showing an increased risk for stroke following traumatic brain injury (TBI), we undertook a pilot study to investigate coated-platelet synthesis in veterans with TBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients with a diagnosis of mild TBI (mTBI) and 40 controls without a history of TBI and matched for age, gender, and ethnicity/race were enrolled in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Coated-platelet levels were determined in patients with mTBI and controls. The time period since most recent injury ranged from 6 months to 9 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coated-platelet levels were significantly higher for mTBI patients than for controls (mean ± SD = 52.0% ± 14.0% vs 35.4% ± 13.0%; P < .0001). No relationship between these levels and the length of time since the last injury was found (P = .5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coated-platelet levels are markedly and persistently elevated in individuals with mTBI. These data suggest a link to previous findings of increased stroke risk and chronic inflammation among individuals who sustained a TBI.
authors: Veterans Administration Medical Center and Department of Neurology (Dr Prodan), Department of Medicine (Dr Dale), University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City and Cognitive Science Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman (Dr Vincent).
authors: Calin I
authors: CI
authors: Prodan
authors: Andrea S
authors: AS
authors: Vincent
authors: George L
authors: GL
authors: Dale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010979:Platelet Function Tests