Platelet interaction with bacteria. V. Ultrastructure of congenital afibrinogenemic platelets.

Platelets from a patient with congenital afibrinogenemia (CA) were tested in their native plasma for reactivity in vitro to Staphylococcus aureus 502A. Previous studies of the interactions between normal human platelets and this organism have shown rapid irreversible aggregation responses in which the bacteria were regularly trapped between aggregating platelets. Engulfment of microbes by single normal platelets in a process akin to phagocytosis was a very rare occurrence. In contrast, CA platelets showed a delayed aggregation response to contact with this microorganism. The CA platelets were also much more sensitive to the concentration of bacteria than were normal platelets. Electron microscopy showed that individual CA platelets often engulfed the stimulatory organism rather than participating in aggregation. Postfixation staining with a colloidal tracer, lanthanum nitrate, indicated that the bacteria were sequestered in the open canalicular system of the CA platelets in a manner analogous to that previously observed with latex particles. Restoration of normal levels of human fibrinogen to the CA platelet-rich plasma corrected the delay in aggregation but did not eliminate the frequent engulfment of bacteria by the CA platelets. These findings indicate that fibrinogen is an important, although not essential, cofactor in the response of human platelets to contact with this common bacterial pathogen.