4. Normal platelet function
• Megakaryopoietic agents
• stem cell factor, GM-CSF, IL3, IL6
• Thrombopoietin, c-mpl – hepatocytes, bone marrow stromal cells
• Endomitosis – upto 128n
• Produce 2000-3000 platelet per megakaryocyte
• Maturation - surface GPIb, GPII, von Willebrand factor
• Reside in bone marrow adjacent to sinusoids with pseudopods
projecting into the sinuses
8. Platelet physiology
• Discoid shape – normal volume 7-11fL – margination
• Rigid structure – Microtubules, actin filaments linked to GPIb
• Lifespan – 10 days
• 4 types of granules –
• Dense granules – ADP, ATP, phosphates,serotonis, Ca++
• Alpha granules – fibrinogen, VWF, fV, protein S
• Lysosomes
• Peroxisomes
9. Platelet function
• Platelet capture and stable adhesion
• Platelet spreading
• Granule secretion and TxA2 formation
• Aggregation
• Thrombus stabilization
• Procoagulant activity
10. Platelet capture and
stable adhesion
• Low flow/ shear rates
– directly adhere to
exposed
subendothelial
connective tissue
• High flow/ shear
rates – mediated by
the action of VWF
with GPIb-IX-V
Spreading
• Fillopodia formation
• Fried egg appearance
11. Granule sectretion/
TxA2
• ADP release from dense granules
• De novo formation of TxA2
• From arachidonic acid by the
action of phospholipase A2
• Alpha granules – P selectin –
Binds leucocytes
Aggregation
• specific term used for the cross-
linking of activated platelets
through binding of bivalent or
multivalent ligands to integrin
αIIbβ3
• Fibrinogen is considered to be
the main ligand (higher
concentration in blood)
12. Thrombus
stabilization
• Remodeling of actin
cytoskeleton
• Clot retraction
Procoagulant activity
• Provides a negatively
charged phospholipid
surface for coagulation
pathway
13. VWF – what, where and how
• Multimer varying in size from 500 – 20,000kDa
• Ultra-large VWF is stored in endothelial cells and released (Weibel-
palade bodies)
• Broken down into smaller multimers by ADAMTS-13
• VWF stabilizes factor VIII
• Globular form and extended forms (activated)
• Binds to GPIb-V-IX
14. Important molecules summarized
• GPIb–IX–V
• GPVI and integrin 𝛂2𝛃1 – Collagen receptor
• Integrin 𝛂IIb𝛃3 (GPIIb/IIIa)
• P2Y1 and P2Y12 ADP receptors – Adenosine receptor
• TxA2 receptor
• PAR-1 and PAR-4 – Thrombin receptors
• Ca++
16. Congenital platelet function disorders
• Disorders of adhesion
• BSS
• Collagen receptor defects
• Activation and aggregation
• Defects in receptors for ADP, collagen, and thromboxane A2
• Glanzmann thrombasthenia
• Storage pool defects
• Grey platelet syndrome – alpha granule
• Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome - Dense (or delta) granule deficiency
• Combined alpha delta deficiency
• Quebec platelet disorder
• Membrane changes – Promote coagulation
• Scott syndrome – altered phospholipid distribution
17. Indication of platelet function testing
• Bleeding manifestations with unrevealing initial evaluation for
common bleeding disorders
• Positive family history for bleeding disorders
• Genetic test that point to platelet function disorder
• Usually not done for abnormal platelet morphology
18. Not useful for
• Monitoring antiplatelet therapy
• Predicting bleeding risk in people with thrombocytopenia
19. Adult with bleeding disorder- Actively bleeding
individual
• Search for anatomic and surgical lesions
• PT, aPTT, platelet count, fibrinogen levels, peripheral smear
• PFA-100, vWf testing
• Intervention –
• Platelet transfusion if thrombocytopenia
• Fibrinogen or Vit K in prolonged clotting time
• Clotting factors
• Antifibrinolytic drugs
20. Adult with bleeding disorder- Not actively
bleeding
• History
• Underlying conditions
• Cancer
• Excess alcohol use
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Connective tissue disorders
• Hypothyroidism
• Response to bleeding
challenges
• Prior bleeding history
• During infancy/ stump bleeding
• Adolescence/ menstrual bleeding
• Severe bleeds requiring intervention
• History of iron deficiency
• Pregnancy history
• Bruising history
• Family history
22. BAT
• Low BAT score predicts absence of a bleeding disorder and can limit
excess testing
• Elevated BAT score predicts risk of subsequent bleeding
• Validated for
• Inherited platelet disorders
• VWD
• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• General bleeding evaluation
24. Pre testing evaluation
• Testing required prior to platelet function testing:-
• Thorough history, Bleeding assessment tool (BAT)
• Complete blood counts and peripheral smear study
• PT, aPTT
• Screening for von Willebrand disease (optional)
25. What are the available tests for
assessing platelet function
• Platelet aggregometry is gold standard
• PFA-100 – screening test
• Genetic testing
• Flow cytometry
• Bleeding time is not recommended
26. Pretesting considerations
• Medications: antiplatelet agents, NSAIDs, SSRIs
• Discontinue for at least 10 days prior to testing
• Thrombocytopenia: usually not recommended below a count of
80,000. Some cases require flow cytometric testing
• Preferably overnight fasting before collection of sample -
chylomicrons
27. Collection and transportation
• 20ml blood to be collected
• Minimal venous occlusion
• 1/10 volume of trisodium citrate
• Should not be chilled
• Testing done 30mins – 3hrs post centrifuging
28. Aggregometry techniques
Platelet rich plasma – light
transmission
• Centrifuge at 200g for 10-15
mins
• Agonist is added to PRP
• Light transmission through the
sample is measured
• Transmission increases as
platelet aggregates are formed
and separated
Whole blood
• Measured using electrical
impedance
• Platelets aggregate onto the
electrode causing change in
impedance
29. Platelet aggregometry – First panel
• Aggregometry measures platelet response (aggregation) to a panel of
agonists:
1. Collagen---------------------------------- Physiologic platelet activator
2. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)------ Physiologic platelet activator
3. Epinephrine------------------------------ Physiologic platelet activator
4. Ristocetin -------------------------------- Antibiotic with platelet activation
5. Arachidonic acid------------------------ Physiologic platelet activator
• Agonists added at a ratio of 1:10 by volume
30. Second line of agonists that may be used
• 46619 (a thromboxane receptor agonist)
• Gamma thrombin
• TRAP (thrombin receptor activating peptides) that stimulate PAR-1
(peptide sequence SFLRRN) or PAR-4 (peptide sequence AYPGKF)
• Collagen Related Peptide (CRP) and Convulxin (a rattlesnake toxin),
which stimulate platelet GpVI
• Calcium ionophore A23187
• Phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate
31. Interpretation of aggregometry
• A- shape
change
• B- primary wave
aggregation
• X- angle of initial
aggregation
• Y – height of
aggregation
trace
• D – lag phase
32. Caveats with aggregometry and technical
consideration
• May be inaccurate in
individuals with
thrombocytopenia (1-
6Lakhs/uL)
• Is not well standardized
• Not sensitive to all granule
storage and release defects –
Lumi aggregometry
36. PFA - 100
Attempts to reproduce
under high shear rates VWF
binding, platelet
attachment,
activation and aggregation,
which slowly build a stable
platelet plug at the
aperture
Can be used to exclude a diagnosis of function defect
37. Platelet Lumiaggregometry
• ATP secreted by dense granules
is measured luminescence
technique
• Luminescence measurement of
ATP secretion provides
unequivocal evidence of
normal or impaired dense
granule release
38. Flow cytometry
• Assay platelet surface glycoprotein deficiencies seen in heritable
platelet disorders
• Assay for activation markers after exposure to platelet agonists.
• Assay for dense granule deficiency and storage pool disease using a
granule binding dye
40. References
• ISTH/SSC bleeding assessment tool: a standardized questionnaire and
a proposal for a new bleeding score for inherited bleeding disorders.
Rodeghiero F, Tosetto A, Abshire T, Arnold DM. 2010;8(9):2063.
• https://www.uptodate.com/contents/approach-to-the-adult-with-a-
suspected-bleeding-
disorder?search=Platelet%20disorders&source=search_result&select
edTitle=2~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=2#H2100446941
• https://www.uptodate.com/contents/inherited-platelet-function-
disorders-
ipfds?search=Platelet%20disorders&source=search_result&selectedTi
tle=1~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1
Editor's Notes
Proplatelets are released into circulation
Identifying megakaryocyte
Localization of megakaryocyte
Sinus vs fat spaces
Multinucleated???
Endomitosis – normal finding
Questionable function
FG- fibrinogen
CRP – collagen related peptide
THR - thrombin
P selectin binds ??microvesicles
A complex of FIXa and FVIIIa on the negatively charged lipid surface converts FX to FXa (tenase complex), which in turn forms a complex with FVa on the same surface to efficiently convert prothrombin to thrombin (prothrombinase complex).
Scott syndrome
TTP – lack of ADAMTS13 – large multimers – thrombosis
Mutations in GPIbα, GPIbβ and GPIX give rise to the rare bleeding disorder Bernard–Soulier syndrome, which is characterized by macrothrombocytopenia
History of easy bruising, which is commonly reported, lacks sensitivity and specificity and may be a sign of trauma or skin fragility rather than a true bleeding disorder.
Excessive menstrual bleeding has many causes (eg, an anatomic lesion, hormonal factors, or impaired hemostasis)
Platelet and vascular disorders are generally characterized by mucosal bleeding
Coagulation factor disorders are generally characterized by bleeding into muscles and joints and delayed bleeding after a bleeding challenge
Inherited disorders tend to present in childhood if severe but frequently present in adulthood or only after a bleeding challenge if mild. Some inherited disorders have additional syndromic features
Some acquired disorders are associated with an underlying condition such as pregnancy, cancer, or connective tissue diseases.
Difficulty -
Vague symptomatology
Different presentation for identical disease processes
Environmental effect – different exposure to bleeding challenges – trauma, surgeries, physical work
Vwd - cutoff score of ≥4 points had a sensitivity of 100 percent, specificity of 87 percent, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.20, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 1 for the diagnosis of VWD
IPFD – median score approx. 9
Heavy menstrual bleeding – In a 2012 study involving 30 females with heavy menstrual bleeding for whom anatomic, hormonal, and medication-related causes had been excluded, use of the score with a cutoff of 3.5 points had a sensitivity of 85 percent, specificity of 90 percent, PPV of 0.89, and NPV of 0.86
Distinction between 0 and 1 is of critical importance
Normal range is <4 in adult males, <6 in adult females and <3 in children (3).
https://bleedingscore.certe.nl
Control sample will be platelet poor plasma 2000g for 20 mins