WHOLE BLOOD AGGREGOMETER IN THE ASSESSMENT OF PLATELET HYPER-AGGREGABILITY

The aim of this study has been to investigate the reliability of platelet aggregation in whole blood in some clinical conditions associated to thromboembolic complications.

18 healthy subjects, 15 patients affected by ischemic heart disease (IHD) and 15 patients affected by insulin independent diabetes, free of vascular complications, were studied. Collagen induced (2.5 mg/L f.c.) platelet aggregation was evaluated both in whole blood (WB) by using impedance whole blood aggregometer (Chrono-Log) and in platelet rich plasma (PRP) by Born aggregometer. Aggregation was significantly higher in whole blood than in PRP in all the groups investigated (p < 0.01). No significant difference was found in PRP aggregation among the three groups, whereas WB aggregation was significantly higher in the two patient groups (IHD 79.5 + 14.2%, Diabetes 81.3 + 17.6%) than in controls (64.8 ± 14.1%) (p < 0.01 for both comparisons). No relationship was found between WB aggregation and Hct or platelet number in any of the groups studied. A slight relationship was found between megathrombocyte count and WE aggregation values (r=0.31, p < 0.05).

Collagen platelet aggregation in WB seems to be provided with higher sensibility than PRP aggregation in detecting hyper-aggregability, probably because it does not imply the selection of platelet populations with loss of larger platelets and of other blood cells.