Summary
Individual variability in response to clopidogrel is known but its mechanism is poorly
understood. We examined the relationship between glycoprotein IIIa polymorphism PlA1/A2 and anti-thrombotic actions of clopidogrel. Clopidogrel (75 mg/d; 2 weeks) was administered
to 48 normolipemic patients with coronary artery disease. Bleeding time, thrombin
generation at the site of microvascular injury, platelet function under high shear,
using PFA-100 with ADP cartridge, and platelet surface activation markers (P-selectin
and fibrinogen binding sites on GPIIb/IIIa complex detected by PAC-1 antibody), were
studied both before and after clopidogrel treatment. Both unstimulated and low-dose
(0.02 μM and 1 μM) in vitro ADP-stimulated platelets were examined. GP IIIa polymorphism was assessed by polymerase
chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. We identified
32 PlA1/A1 homozygotes, 15 PlA1/A2 heterozygotes and one PlA2/A2 homozygote. Clopidogrel significantly prolonged bleeding time in all subjects, but
this effect was greater in PlA2 carriers (p<0.01). Furthermore, clopidogrel only depressed thrombin generation at
the site of microvascular injury (p<0.01) in PlA2 patients and prolonged closure time measured in vitro by PFA-100 (p<0.05). At baseline spontaneous expression of PAC-1 and P-selectin was
higher in PlA2 subjects as compared to PlA1 homozygotes (p<0.05 for both antigens). Clopidogrel lowered the expression of both
markers affecting more PlA2 carriers, so that the difference in binding PAC-1 antibody between platelets from
PlA1 and PlA2 carriers disappeared, while the difference in P-selectin expression slightly diminished.
Anti-thrombotic effects of clopidogrel are more pronounced in CAD patients carrying
the PlA2 allele than in PlA1 homozygotes.
Keywords
Clopidogrel - coronary artery disease - glycoprotein IIIa polymorphism - platelet
activation - thrombin generation