SPONTANEOUS LUMINOL-DEPENDENT CHEMILUMINESCENCE OF THROMBOCYTES INCREASES IN HEMORRHAGIC-FEVER WITH RENAL SYNDROME

Spontaneous luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) of thrombocytes w as studied in 12 patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome ( HFRS) caused by Puumala virus. CL in the acute phase of HFRS (median, 61 mV/10 sec; range, 22-91) was higher than that of healthy controls ( median, 22 mV/10 sec; range, 18-29; P < 0.01) and patients with acute hepatitis B infection accompanied by thrombocytopenia (median, 33 mV/1 0 sec; range, 13-45; P < 0.01). CL of thrombocytes in the convalescenc e phase of HFRS (median, 31 mV/10 sec; range, 12-80) was significantly lower than that during the acute phase (P < 0.01). Neither was there a difference in CL response between HFRS patients with or without thro mbocytopenia, but both groups produced a higher CL response than that of the control groups. Both the complement-containing and complement-f ree sera from acute HFRS patients (final dilutions: range 1:10-1:2560) exhibited no effect on CL response of normal thrombocytes. A possible role of increased oxygen radicals production by thrombocytes in patho genesis of HFRS is discussed. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.