Platelet Aggregation and Release of Atp in Patients with Hepatic Cirrhosis

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the platelet aggregation and releasable platelet ATP in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (n = 10) and primary biliary cirrhosis (n = 10). In patients with liver disease a significant decrease was found in both adenosine diphosphate-induced aggregation (PP < 0.001) compared with that of controls, but there was no significant difference between the two groups of patients. Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis release smaller amounts of ATP than patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, and compared with the controls there was a significant (P < 0.001) decrease in the releasable ATP in the patient groups. These results suggest that platelets are damaged during an intravascular activation (loss of granules), which gives rise to their subsequent hypo-function when tested in vitro.