Summary
Prothrombotic properties of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies may be explained in
part by their ability to enhance the activation of platelets pre-treated with low
doses of ADP or thrombin. The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HQ) has been used
successfully in prevention of postoperative thrombosis and in treatment of patients
with SLE or APS. In one study, administration of HQ reversed the thrombogenic properties
of aPL in mice. However, the mechanism of action of HQ in preventing thrombosis is
not clearly understood. In order to explore this further, the effects of HQ on activation
of platelets by aPL in the presence of a thrombin agonist was studied. The changes
in the expression of GPIIb/IIIa (CD41a) and GPIIIa (CD61) on platelet membrane by
flow cytometry were used as indicators of platelet activation. Citrated whole blood
from a healthy donor was treated at room temperature with suboptimal doses of a thrombin
agonist receptor peptide (TRAP) and affinity-purified aPL antibodies, in the presence
and in the absence of hydroxychloroquine (1 mM). TRAP increased the expression of
GPIIb/IIIa and GPIIIa on platelet surface. The treatment of the platelets with the
six aPL antibodies in the presence of 12 nMol/ml TRAP further increased the expression
of GPIIb/IIIa by 42.3 ± 12.3% and the expression of GPIIIa was further incremented
by 46.8 ± 13.5%. The effects of aPL and TRAP on expression of platelet surface markers
of activation was completely abrogated by HQ in a dose-dependent fashion and was effective
at concentrations of HQ as low as 25 µg/ml (0.0125 mM). This suggests at least one
possible mechanism by which HQ may prevent thrombosis. This may have important implications
in treatment of thrombosis in APS patients.
Keywords
Antiphospholipid antibodies - platelet activation - hydroxychloroquine - thrombosis
- GPIIb/IIIa