PMID: 11341498May 9, 2001Paper

Cell-derived microparticles circulate in healthy humans and support low grade thrombin generation

Thrombosis and Haemostasis
René J BerckmansAugueste Sturk

Abstract

We determined the numbers, cellular origin and thrombin-generating properties of microparticles in healthy individuals (n = 15). Microparticles, isolated from fresh blood samples and identified by flow cytometry, originated from platelets [237 x 10(6)/L (median; range 116-565)], erythrocytes (28 x 10(6)/L; 13-46), granulocytes (46 x 10(6)/L; 16-94) and endothelial cells (64 x 10(6)/L; 16-136). They bound annexin V, indicating surface exposure of phosphatidylserine, and supported coagulation in vitro. Interestingly, coagulation occurred via tissue factor (TF)-independent pathways, because antibodies against TF or factor (F)VII were ineffective. In contrast, in our in vitro experiments coagulation was partially inhibited by antibodies against FXII (12%, p = 0.006), FXI (36%, p <0.001), FIX (28%, p <0.001) or FVIII (32%, p <0.001). Both the number of annexin V-positive microparticles present in plasma and the thrombin-generating capacity inversely correlated to the plasma concentrations of thrombin-antithrombin complex (r = -0.49, p = 0.072 and r = -0.77, p = 0.001, respectively), but did not correlate to prothrombin fragment F1+2 (r = -0.002, p = 0.99). The inverse correlations between the number of microparticles and their throm...Continue Reading

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