Plasma concentrations of platelet-specific proteins in young female acute myocardial infarction survivors and their age-matched female controls.
The steady state plasma concentrations of the two platelet-specific proteins beta-thromboglobulin (BTG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) were determined in two groups of females: 36 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) survivors, and 38 age-matched control subjects. For the AMI patients the mean BTG and PF4 values were 57 +/- 4 and 14.1 +/- 1.7 ng/ml, respectively. These two means significantly exceeded the corresponding means for the controls, 40 +/- 2 and 10.3 +/- 0.6 ng/ml, respectively. Similar results have recently been reported by other workers who investigated patients with coronary artery disease; however, in no previous study were the values for BTG and PF4 related to those obtained for control subjects matched with respect to sex and age. The present results therefore further support the concept that increased platelet activation and secretion is taking place in steady state patients who previously have sustained an AMI.