Plasma Thrombospondin as an Indicator of Intravascular Platelet Activation in Patients with Vasculitis

Summary

The use of plasma thrombospondin (TSP) concentration was investigated as an indicator of intravascular platelet activation. Patients (n = 20) with diseases that have known vasculitis were included in the study. The range and the mean of plasma TSP concentrations of patients with vasculitis were 117 ng/ml to 6500 ng/ml and 791±1412 ng/ml (mean ± SD); the range and the mean of plasma TSP concentrations of control individuals (n = 33) were 13 ng/ml to 137 ng/ml and 59±29 ng/ml. When plasma TSP concentrations were correlated with plasma concentrations of another platelet activation marker, β-thromboglobulin (P-TG), it was found that the TSP concentration inei eased exponentially as the plasma β-TG level rose. A positive correlation between plasma levels of plasma TSP and serum fibrin degradation products was also observed. The results suggest that platelets are the primary source of plasma TSP in patients with various vasculitis and that plasma TSP can be a better indicator than β-TG to assess intravascular platelet activation due to its longer circulation half life.

Keywords

Plasma thrombospondin - β-thromboglobulin - Platelet - Vasculitis

• References

• 1 Lawler JW, Slayter HS, Coligan JE. Isolation and characterization of a high molecular weight glycoprotein from human platelets. J Biol Chem 1978; 253: 8609-8616
• 2 Maclaren SM. Immunohistochemical localization of thrombospondin in human megakaryocytes and platelets. J Clin Pathol 1983; 36: 197-199
• 3 Mosher DF, Doyle MJ, Jaffe EA. Synthesis and secretion of thrombospondin by cultured endothelial cells. J Cell Biol 1982; 93: 343
• 4 Jaffe FA, Ruggier JT, Leung UK, Doyle MJ, McKeown Longo PJ, Mosher DF. Cultured human fibroblasts synthesize and secrete thrombospondin and incorporate it into extracellular matrix Proc. Natl Acad Sci USA 1983; 80: 889
• 5 Jaffe EA, Ruggier JT, Falcone DJ. Monocytes and macrophages synthesize and secrete thrombospondin. Blood 1985; 65: 79-84
• 6 Raugi GJ, Mcmby SM, Abbott-Brown D, Bomslein P. Thrombospondin: Synthesis and secretion by cells in culture. J Cell Biol 1982; 95: 351-365
• 7 Dawes J, Clemeson KJ, Gogstad GO. et al. A radioimmunoassay for thrombospondin used in a comparative study of thrombosondin, P- thromboglobulin, and platelet factor 4 in healthy volunteers. Thromb Res 1983; 29: 569-581
• 8 Brewer EJ, Bass J, Baum J. et al. Current proposed revision of JRA criteria. Arthritis Rheum 1977; 20 Suppl. [phone]
• 9 Tan EM, Cohen AS, Fries JF. et al. The 1982 revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 1982; 25: 127-177
• 10 Kawasaki disease. New York. MMWR 1980; 29: 61-63
• 11 Kao KJ, Klein PA. A monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for quantitation of plasma thrombospondin. Am J Clin pathol 1986; 86: 317-323
• 12 Levine SP. Secreted platelet proteins as markers for pathological disorders. In Biochemistry of Platelets. Phillips DR, Shuman MA. (ed), pp. 377-415 Academic Press; Orlando, FL: 1986
• 13 Crowe WE, Bove KE, Levinson JE, Hilton PK. Clinical and pathogentic implications of histopathology in childhood polyder- matomyositis. Arthritis and Rheumatism 1982; 25 (02) 126-139
• 14 Resnick AH, Burton EN. Vasculitis in children. International Journal of Dermatology 1985; 24: 139-146
• 15 Mintz G, Fraga A. Arteritis in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arch Intern Med 1965; 116: 55-66
• 16 Hirose S, Hamashima Y. Morphological observations on the vasculitis in mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. Eur J Pediatr 1978; 129: 17-27
• 17 Statland BE, Winkel P, Burke MD, Galen RS. Quantitative approaches used in evaluating laboratory measurements and other clinical data. In Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. Henry JB, Saunders WB. (ed), pp. 525-533 Philadelphia, PA: 1979
• 18 Shuman MA, Levine SP. Thrombin generation and secretion of platelet factor 4 during blood clotting. J Clin Invest 1978; 61: 1102-1106