Abstract
Platelets play an essential role in the pathophysiology of atherothrombosis. Reticulated
platelets (RPs) are the youngest platelet population in the circulation; their presence
is an indicator of platelet turnover. Circulating levels of RPs are increased in patients
with coronary artery disease and stroke. Preliminary indications are that the proportion
of circulating RP is associated with the likelihood of ischaemic events such as acute
coronary syndrome and stroke. Plausible mechanisms include: (1) increased participation
of these platelets in thrombosis due to messenger ribonucleic acid that may be translated
to active proteins, (2) lack of exposure to anti-platelet drugs since they are newly
released from the bone marrow or (3) their presence is a non-specific marker of inflammation.
In this state-of-the-art review, we discuss the implication of RP in coronary artery
disease and in hypo-responsiveness to the most commonly used anti-platelet drugs.
Keywords
coronary artery disease - stroke - reticulated platelets - immature platelets - platelet
function test - anti-platelet drugs
