Patients with IBD in remission have higher basal platelet surface P-selectin expression. An exaggerated platelet activity with increased expression of platelet P-selectin and release of inflammatory mediators such as RANTES, which is chemotactic and induce chemokine production, could have a reinforcing and aggravating influence on the inflammatory response and increase the susceptibility to IBD. In addition IL-8 has a down-regulating effect on platelet surface P-selectin expression and 5ASA medication seems to lower plasma RANTES. If 5ASA is responsible for lowering the concentration of RANTES this could be one of the beneficial outcomes of 5ASA medication.

AIM:To observe if the total amount of platelet P-selectin (tP-selectin) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was related to disease entity or activity, 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) medication or gender.METHODS: tP-selectin was measured by immunoassay in seventeen IBD patients and twelve healthy controls. RESULTS:Compared to controls, there was no difference of tP-selectin in patients related to disease entity or activity and 5-ASA medication. When the groups were split according to gender the male patient group showed higher levels of tP-selectin compared to male controls (153 ng/mL vs 94 ng/mL, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION:Increased tP-selectin levels may alter the inflammatory response and susceptibility to thromboembolic disease. As previously shown with soluble P-selectin, tP-selectin shows gender dependent differences important to consider in future studies.© 2006 The WJG Press. All rights reserved.Key words: Platelet; P-selectin; Inflammatory bowel disease; 5-aminosalicylic acid; Gender Fägerstam JP, Whiss PA. Higher platelet P-selectin in male patients with inflammatory bowel disease compared to healthy males. World