Release of platelet plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in whole blood is increased in patients with type II diabetes.

OBJECTIVE

To compare platelet plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) release in type II diabetic patients and healthy control subjects.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied a group of 27 diabetic patients and a group of 16 nondiabetic control subjects. Whole-blood platelet aggregation, defined as a decrease in platelet count during shaking (180 rpm) of blood samples at 37 degrees C, and plasma PAI-1 antigen concentrations were measured in parallel at time 0, 7.5, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 180 min.

RESULTS

Platelet aggregation did not differ significantly between the two groups at any time period. However, the increase in plasma PAI-1 antigen concentration over basal levels at time 0 was higher for the group of diabetic patients when compared with their matched control subjects. The increment of PAI-1 antigen was 61.8 +/- 29.4 vs. 35.9 +/- 13.4 ng/ml (P < 0.005, means +/- SD) after 180 min for the diabetic and control subjects, respectively. Platelet PAI-1 release was correlated to very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride plasma levels, but not to HbA1c levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Platelets of patients with type II diabetes release significantly more PAI-1 than platelets of healthy subjects at the same level of platelet aggregation. This may contribute to enhanced thrombosis in diabetes.