The Expression of Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).

The receptors of platelet membrane have a significant function. Most of them are glycoproteins and play a major role in the adhesion and aggregation of platelets, in a way that any change of their quantity or quality will lead to functional defects of the second.

Aim of this study is to determine the qualitative expression of platelet membrane glycoproteins among patients (pts) with MDS, as a reflection of the various defects that characterize those syndromes.

Materials and methods: 24 pts were studied, 15 male and 9 female with mean age 73.2 ± 13,4 years old, who suffered from all of the types of MDS (FAB classification).

Specifically, 9 patients (pts) presented RA, 2 pts RARS, 7 pts RAEB, 2 pts RAEB-t and 4 CMML. All of the pts, as well as 16 normal subjects (8 male and 8 female with 68,4±9.7 old age) who were used as controls, were investigated using flow cytometry and certain monoclonal antibodies(CD42a and CD42b for glycoproteins GPIb-V-IX, CD41 and CD61 for glycoproteins GPIIb-IIIa and CD62P for P-selectin). The statistical method used was the comparison of mean values by t-test.

Conclusions: As shown in the table above, GPIb IX-V (CD42b), P selectin and GpIIb are reduced in all of the categories of pts. As long as GpIIIa is concerned, it is reduced only among pts with RARS and RAEB. On the contrary, CD42a (GpIb) does not seem to have been affected by these hemopoietic disturbances. It is possible that the reduction of those receptors a) reflects changes in the normal production of platelets and b) explains functional disorders of platelets.