Enhanced in Vivo Platelet Activation in Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Plasma levels of platelet factor 4 (PF4) determined in 58 apparently healthy subjects were found to increase with age. In 66 insulin dependent diabetics, PF4 plasma levels were increased but unrelated to the age of subject. Mean fibrinopeptide A levels were elevated in the diabetics but not correlated to PF4 levels. Activation of the coagulation system with thrombin generation thus seems to be operative in diabetes, but the enhanced platelet activation also observed in this disease is probably not thrombin mediated. No correlation was found between PF4 plasma concentration and the degree of vascular complication, HbA1c, blood glucose, 24‐h urinary glucose, serum cholesterol or serum triglycerides.

CXCR3 ligands in disease and therapy

“…Though not always clear-cut, several studies have investigated the association between platelet activation and coagulation factors on one hand and diabetes on the other. This also led to the observation that diabetic patients present increased CXCL4 plasma levels, presumably related to enhanced platelet activation [124,125]. Like most CXCR3 ligands, CXCL4 has been studied regarding its involvement in complications of diabetes, such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) [125,126].…”

PF4 (platelet factor 4)

“…Disease Early on an association was recognized between diabetes and PDR on the one hand and elevated plasma levels of coagulation factors, such as CXCL4, on the other hand (Ek et al, 1982;Roy et al, 1988). Recent clinical studies have not only confirmed elevated CXCL4 levels in the vitreous fluid of PDR patients but also a correlation between vitreous CXCL4 concentration and PDR clinical disease activity (Nawaz et al, 2013).…”