Cystic fibrosis heterozygotes do not have increased platelet activation

Tarnow, Inge; Michelson, Alan D.; Frelinger, Andrew L.; Linden, Matthew D.; Li, Youfu; Fox, Marsha L.; Barnard, Marc R.; O'Sullivan, Brian P.

doi:10.1016/j.thromres.2007.04.004

« Previous Next »Thrombosis Research
Volume 121, Issue 2 , Pages 159-162, 2007

Cystic fibrosis heterozygotes do not have increased platelet activation

Inge Tarnow
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Copenhagen, The Faculty of Life Sciences, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Health Care and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Center for Platelet Function Studies, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
Alan D. Michelson
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Health Care and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Center for Platelet Function Studies, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
Andrew L. Frelinger III
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Health Care and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Center for Platelet Function Studies, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
Matthew D. Linden
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Health Care and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Center for Platelet Function Studies, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
Youfu Li
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Health Care and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Center for Platelet Function Studies, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
Marsha L. Fox
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Health Care and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Center for Platelet Function Studies, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
Marc R. Barnard
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Health Care and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Center for Platelet Function Studies, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
Brian P. O'Sullivan
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Health Care and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Corresponding author. Department of Pediatrics, UMass Memorial Health Care, 55 Lake Avenue, North, Worcester, MA 01655, United States. Tel.: +1 508 856 4155; fax: +1 508 856 2609.

Received 22 January 2007; received in revised form 10 April 2007; accepted 16 April 2007.

Abstract

Introduction

We have previously demonstrated platelet hyperreactivity in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Carriers of one CF mutation (heterozygotes) have been shown to have abnormalities related to the presence of only one-half the normal amount of CF transmembrane conductance regulator protein. Platelet hyperreactivity in CF heterozygotes would be an important cardiovascular risk factor, since approximately 1 in 25 Caucasians is a CF carrier.

Materials and methods

We used highly sensitive assays of platelet activation to assess the difference between 16 CF heterozygotes and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy controls without CF mutations.