Platelets, gender and acute cerebral infarction.
OBJECTIVE
Platelets may well be significant in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction. Platelets vary substantially according to gender. The scope of our current work is to establish if female and male stroke sufferers differ regarding platelet reactivity.


METHODS
73 Consecutive individuals stricken by acute ischemic cerebral infarction (31 females, 42 males) participated. All stroke subtypes were included. Platelet counts was determined electronically. Platelet reactivity i.e. the presence of surface-bound fibrinogen following provocation was analyzed with a flow cytometer. ADP (1.7 μmol/L) and a thrombin receptor agonist (TRAP-6) (57 μmol/L) were the agonists used.


RESULTS
Female stroke sufferers had higher platelet counts (p = 0.013) but their platelets were less reactive. The p values were (p = 0.038) and (p = 0.016) for ADP and TRAP-6, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The current study demonstrates that women suffering acute cerebral infarction have less reactive platelets. It is concluded that gender affects platelets. Our study indicates that it may be beneficial to individualize platelet inhibition of stroke sufferers according to gender.
Department of Internal Medicine, The Vrinnevi Hospital, 601 82, Norrköping, Sweden. petter.jaremo@telia.com.
Petter
P
Järemo
Department of Internal Medicine, The Vrinnevi Hospital, 601 82, Norrköping, Sweden. Marie.Eriksson_Franzen@lio.se.
Marie
M
Eriksson-Franzen
Department of Internal Medicine, The Vrinnevi Hospital, 601 82, Norrköping, Sweden. hemma_20@hotmail.com.
Micha
M
Milovanovic
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000097:blood*; D003710:Demography; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood