title: Whole Blood Analysis of Leukocyte-Platelet Aggregates.
abstract: In inflammatory and thrombotic syndromes, platelets aggregate with circulating leukocytes, especially monocytes and neutrophils. This leukocyte-platelet aggregate formation is initiated primarily through platelet surface expression of P-selectin (CD62P), following activation-dependent degranulation of α-granules, binding to its constitutively expressed counter-receptor, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1), on leukocytes. Monocyte-platelet aggregates are a more sensitive marker of platelet activation than platelet surface P-selectin. Detection of leukocyte-platelet aggregates is relatively simple by whole-blood flow cytometry. Light scatter and at least one leukocyte-specific antibody are used to gate the desired population, and the presence of associated platelets is detected by immunostaining for abundant platelet-specific markers. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Center for Platelet Research Studies, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Anja J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Gerrits
authors.affiliation: Center for Platelet Research Studies, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Frelinger
authors.affiliation: Center for Platelet Research Studies, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Michelson
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D014019:Tissue Donors
keywords: P-selectin; PSGL-1; activation-dependent receptors; coronary artery disease; flow cytometry; leukocytes; platelets