A STUDY OF BETA-THROMBOGLOBULIN AND PLATELET FACTOR-IV PLASMA-LEVELS IN STEADY-STATE SICKLE-CELL PATIENTS

To evaluate the platelet function in sickle cell syndromes we measured the β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF-4) plasma values of 45 patients suffering from homozygous sickle cell anaemia (10) and sickle cell β-thalassaemia (35) in steady state. The results were compared to those of 32 normal controls. Both the β-TG and PF-4 levels were found to be significantly higher in patients than in controls but the β-TG: PF-4 ratio was significantly lower in the patients group. This finding and the absence of any statistical correlation between platelet number and β-TG or PF-4 indicate that platelets seem to be somehow activated in sickle cell syndromes, both in homozygotes and sickle cell/β-thalassaemia heterozygotes. This platelet activation seems to exist even in steady state sickle cell disease patients, regardless of the functional status of the spleen. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.