Platelet Abnormalities in Thermal Injury

Abstract

A study on platelets was done in 13 patients with severe burns during the period immediately following the thermal injury. For each patient it is possible to define a period, usually beginning around the 8th day postburn, characterised by decrease of ADP and 5-HT in the platelets and by an increase in the ATP/ADP ratio. These abnormalities strongly suggest an acquired storage pool disease. Study of the dense bodies by mepacrine labelling during this period suggests that the platelets release their contents but retain the structures labelled by mepacrine.

An inherited bleeding disorder linked to a defective interaction between ADP and its receptor on platelets. Its influence on glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex function.

“…Platelet nucleotides were measured using the luciferin luciferase procedure as previously employed by us (26) For a series of 10 normal donors tested recently in our laboratory, the maximal intensity of aggregation with 5 MM ADP reached 83.3±7.5%. The aggregation of (M. L.) platelets with 500 Mug/ml arachidonic acid was irreversible and normal.…”