Plasma Concentrations of Platelet-Specific Proteins in Coronary Artery Disease

The plasma concentrations of β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) were measured in 100 patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD) and in 40 controls. 18 patients had had coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS), 25 patients were on therapy with β-blocking agents and 19 were treated with oral anticoagulants. 38 patients with CAD received neither CABS nor β-blocking or anticoagulating drugs. The highest plasma concentrations of β-TG and PF4 were found in the patient group without medical or surgical treatment (patients versus controls: p < 0.01). Patients with CABS showed β-TG and PF4 levels within the normal range. Patients with β-blocking agents also had lower β-TG and PF4 values than the patient group without therapy (p < 0.05). By contrast, patients on oral anticoagulation therapy presented with similar plasma concentrations of β-TG and PF4 as untreated patients. Our data indicate that surgical or medical treatment with β-blocking agents, but not with oral anticoagulants, may have some influence on platelet function in patients with CAD. β-TG and PF4 radioimmunoassay may be a simple method to study platelet involvement in various diseases and to eva