Investigation of platelet adhesiveness in patients with coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction using the platelet adhesion assay (PADA).

BACKGROUND

Increased platelet reactivity may contribute to the development of coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. The aim of the present study was to assess platelet adhesiveness in different stages of coronary artery disease using the platelet adhesion assay (PADA). In addition, the acute effect of coronary angiography and stent implantation on platelet adhesiveness was examined.

METHODS

85 patients with stable coronary artery disease (SAP - stable angina pectoris) and 19 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were enrolled in the study. 35 volunteers served as controls. Blood sampling in SAP and AMI patients was done before coronary angiography to measure the adhesion index (AI) using the PADA. In 33 patients additional blood was drawn at the end of coronary angiography. In 6 patients blood samples were drawn also after stent implantation.

RESULTS

In blood samples from patients with an AMI the AI was significantly higher than in blood samples from the SAP group (p < 0.01) and the control group (p < 0.01). Coronary angiography and stent implantation did not result in significant acute changes in mean AI however results show an interindividual variability in initial values as well as in AI changes during procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to show that PADA, a quick and simple laboratory method for the quantitative determination of platelet adhesiveness, is able to detect platelet hyper-adhesiveness in patients with AMI.