SearchPublisher and Institutes
You are here: Home :: Area NEM :: Medical science :: Human medicine
Sunil K. Nadar, Gregory Y. H. Lip, Andrew D. Blann
Platelet morphology, soluble P selectin and platelet P-selectin in acute ischaemic stroke. The West Birmingham Stroke Project
The pathophysiology of ischaemic stroke involves the platelet. In this study, we hypothesised that abnormalities in platelet morphology, as well as soluble (sPsel) and total platelet P-selectin (pPsel) levels would be present in patients presenting with an acute ischaemic stroke, and that these changes would improve at 3 months follow-up.We studied 59 hypertensive patients (34 male; mean age 6812 years) who presented with an acute ischaemic stroke (ictus<24 hours), and compared them with 2 groups: (i) age-, sex- and ethnic- origin matched normotensive healthy controls; and (ii) uncomplicated high risk hypertensive patients as risk factor control subjects. Platelet morphology (volume and mass) was quantified, and sPsel (plasma marker of platelet activation) was measured (ELISA) in citrated plasma. The mass of P-selectin in each platelet (pPsel) was determined by lysing a fixed number of platelets and then determining the levels of P-selectin in the lysate. Results show that patients who presented with a stroke had significantly higher levels of sPsel and pPsel (both p<0.001), compared to the normal controls and the hypertensive patients. Patients with an acute stroke had lower mean platelet mass (MPM) and mean platelet volume (MPV) as compared to the uncomplicated hypertensive patients, who had significantly higher mean MPM and MPV values, as compared to normal controls. On follow-up, the levels of both sPsel (p = 0.011), pPsel (<0.001) and MPV (p = 0.03) were significantly lower. Mean MPM levels remained unchanged. We conclude that patients presenting with an acute ischaemic stroke have activated platelets, as evident by the increased levels of soluble and platelet P-selectin. Further study of platelet activation and the role of P-selectin is warranted.
Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Schattauer
Print ISSN: 0340-6245
Volume: 92, 12/2004
Pages: 1342 - 1348