Platelets are known to become activated during storage, but it is unclear whether such activation affects recovery or survival after platelet concentrate (PC) transfusion. With the use of flow cytometry to determine the percentage of platelets expressing the alpha-granule membrane protein 140 (GMP-140), a known adhesive ligand appearing on the platelet surface after activation, several studies were conducted. These investigations evaluated 1) the occurrence of significant platelet activation over time in PCs (n = 46) stored under standard blood bank conditions; 2) the correlation between platelet activation and platelet recovery in normal subjects after PC storage (n = 12), as assessed by the recovery of Indium-labeled platelets; and 3) the recovery of activated and unactivated platelets in thrombocytopenic cancer patients transfused with standard PCs (n = 11). It was determined 1) that an increasing duration of storage of PC was associated with increasing platelet activation as measured by the percentage of platelets expressing GMP-140, progressing from a mean of 4 +/- 2 percent (SD) on the day of collection to a mean of 25 +/- 8 percent by 5 days of storage: 2) that, in normal subjects, posttransfusion recovery of autologous platelets stored for 2 to 4 days and then labeled with In111 was inversely correlated with the percentage of activated platelets in the transfused PC (r = -0.55, p = 0.05); and 3) that, when thrombocytopenic patients were transfused with standard PCs, the recovery of the activated platelets in the transfused PCs averaged only 38 +/- 15 percent of the number predicted by the absolute platelet increment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Coronary artery disease (CAD) patients (n=235), comprising minimal (CAD", n=124) and severe (CAD + , n = l l l ) CAD, were recruited on the basis of their angiographic scores. Male control subjects (n=123) were selected randomly from the Caerphilly Heart Study cohort. Subjects were genotyped for the Ser*"-Ter mutation and HindlUJPvu II restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the lipoprotein lipase gene and investigated for associations with severity and development of CAD and lipid and lipoprotein levels. The Ser*"-Ter mutation showed no significant associations with CAD or dyslipidemia but was related to favorable lipid and lipoprotein profiles. The H2H2 genotype (P<.05) and H2 allele (P=.O5) were significantly more frequent in CAD + versus CAD" and control subjects versus CAD". H2H2 sub-

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