ADP-1

Background: A relevant number of patients receive triple therapy with clopidogrel, aspirin, and oral anticoagulation. Clopidogrel's efficacy on ADP induced platelet function may be influenced by concomitant antithrombotic therapies. Data regarding the effect of dabigatran on platelet function is limited to in vitro studies and healthy individuals. Methods: The "Dabi-ADP-1" and "Dabi-ADP-2" trials randomized patients with atrial fibrillation to either dabigatran or phenprocoumon for a 2-week period. In Dabi-ADP-1 (n = 70) patients with clopidogrel therapy were excluded and in Dabi-ADP-2 (n = 46) patients had to be treated concomitantly with clopidogrel. The primary endpoint was ADP-induced platelet aggregation between dabigatran and phenprocoumon at 14 days. Secondary endpoints were ADPtest HS-, TRAP-, and COL-induced platelet aggregation. Results: There was no significant difference regarding the primary endpoint between both groups in either trial (Dabi-ADP-1: Dabigatran: 846 [650-983] AU × min versus phenprocoumon: 839 [666-1039] AU × min, P = 0.90 and Dabi-ADP-2: 326 [268-462] versus 350 [214-535], P = 0.70) or regarding the secondary endpoints, ADPtest HS-, TRAP-, and COL-induced platelet aggregation. Conclusion: Dabigatran as compared to phenprocoumon has no impact on ADP-induced platelet aggregation in atrial fibrillation patients neither with nor without concomitant clopidogrel therapy.

Background: Posttraumatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains prevalent in severely injured patients despite chemoprophylaxis. Importantly, although platelets are central to thrombosis, they are not routinely targeted in prevention of posttraumatic VTE. Furthermore, platelets from injured patients show ex vivo evidence of increased activation yet impaired aggregation, consistent with functional exhaustion. However, the relationship of this platelet functional phenotype with development of posttraumatic VTE is unknown. We hypothesized that, following injury, impaired ex vivo platelet aggregation (PA) is associated with the development of posttraumatic VTE. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of 133 severely injured patients from a prospective observational study investigating coagulation and inflammation (2011-2019). Platelet aggregation in response to stimulation with adenosine diphosphate (ADP), collagen, and thrombin was measured at presentation (preresuscitation) and 24 hours (postresuscitation). Viscoelastic clot strength and lysis were measured in parallel by thromboelastography. Multivariable regression examined relationships between PA at presentation, 24 hours, and the change (δ) in PA between presentation and 24 hours with development of VTE. Results: The 133 patients were severely injured (median Injury Severity Score, 25), and 14% developed VTE (all >48 hours after admission). At presentation, platelet count and PA were not significantly different between those with and without incident VTE. However, at 24 hours, those who subsequently developed VTE had significantly lower platelet counts (126 × 10 9 /L vs. 164 × 10 9 /L, p = 0.01) and lower PA in response to ADP ( p < 0.05), collagen ( p < 0.05), and thrombin ( p = 0.06). Importantly, the magnitude of decrease in PA (δ) from presentation to 24 hours was independently associated with development of VTE (adjusted odds ratios per 10 aggregation unit decrease: δ-ADP, 1.31 [ p = 0.03]; δ-collagen, 1.36 [ p = 0.01]; δ-thrombin, 1.41 [ p < 0.01]). Conclusion: Severely injured patients with decreasing ex vivo measures of PA despite resuscitation have an increased risk of developing VTE. This may have implications for predicting development of VTE and for studying platelet targeted chemoprophylaxis regimens. Level of evidence: Prognostic/Epidemiological; Level III.

There is evidence that an imbalance of extracellular purine levels may be associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Platelets play a pivotal role in vascular homeostasis and thrombosis and are important source of purine nucleotides and nucleosides. Hydrolysis of nucleotides ATP and ADP is regulated by two ectonucleotidases, triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (NTPDase-1/CD39) and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (ecto-5'-NT/CD73). CD39 enzyme is expressed on the endothelium, circulating blood cells, and smooth muscle cells; there is evidence that changes in CD39 expression and activity affects the potential thrombogenic of a tissue. Gender difference in the cardiovascular risk has been extensively observed; however, while the age-dependent difference in the prevalence of cardiovascular events between men and women has been attributed to the loss of the protective effect of estrogens in the postmenopausal period, the physiological mechanism behind gender disparity is still unclear. Here, we evaluated comparatively male and female rat platelet reactivity and considered the possible role of CD39 at the basis of difference observed. We found a reduced in vitro response to ADP (1-30 µM) of female compared to male platelets, associated to increased platelet CD39 expression and activity. Platelet response to ADP was strongly increased by incubation (10 min) with the CD39 inhibitor, ARL67156 (100 µM), while male platelet response was unaffected. Rat treatment with clopidogrel (30 mg/kg, per os) inhibited ex vivo platelet aggregation. Bleeding time was prolonged in female compared to male. Taken together, our results suggest that platelet ATPase and ADPase activity might be a reliable predictor of platelet reactivity.