The Behaviour and Survival of Platelets in Polycythæmia and Thrombocythæmia

Abstract

With the use of radiochromium as a label, reduced platelet survivals were demonstrated in eight of 12 patients with polycyth<emia vera. A reduced platelet survival was most commonly encountered in untreated patients with active disease, when the platelet count was abnormal, and when there was an antecedent history of either h<emorrhage or thrombosis.Evidence is presented which suggests that the reduction of platelet survival in this condition is the result of an intrinsic abnormality in the platelets, rather than of the consumption of platelets in a continuous process of subliminal coagulation.Normal platelet survivals were found in three patients with congenital polycyth<emia, in one patient with polycyth<emia associated with chronic anoxic lung disease, and in four subjects with thrombocytosis.

A Study of ⁵¹Cr-LabeIIed Platelets and the Chromosomal Pattern in a Case of Primary Haemorrhagic Thrombocythaemia

“…As it appears from figure 2 the platelet turnover curve in the control case had a characteristic, linear configuration indi cating that the platelets had a definite life span, which might be calculat ed -in this case about 8 days -corresponding to a breakdown of ap proximately 40,000 platelets/,«l/day. This is in accordance with previous data in normal subjects [1,7,13,18].…”

“…The platelet survival studies confirmed the findings of L ander and Davey [13] in one patient and of Davey [7] in 2 out of 6 patients with thrombocythaemia exhibiting shortened platelet life span. Other studies did not show this [2,18], In our patient, an abnormally short life span of normal platelets was also demonstrated.…”

“…The rationale for undertaking special studies of the platelets of this particular patient would be, that only few details are known about platelet life span in this rare disease, and the results have been very contradictory [2,7,9,13,18]. In ad dition to this the initial uptake of platelets in the reliculo-endothelial system of a patient like this has to our knowledge not been investigated.…”

Significance of Abnormal LDH Isoenzyme Pattern in Human Platelets

“…A sa shortened platelet survival has been found in cross transfusion studies, it has been suggested that plate lets from such patients have intrinsic defects [17]. Abnormal platelet alkaline phosphatase activity [2] and zymogram [28] have been reported in myelo proliferative conditions.…”

Heterogeneity of human Platelets

“…Isotopic platelet survival data have provided considerable controversy as to whether platelet disappearance curves are linear (senescent removal [1][2][3][4][5][6]) or exponential (random removal [7][8][9]) when plotted arithmetically. More recent platelet survival studies suggest a mixed picture of both senescent and random destruction (10).…”