EXPRESSION OF FIBRINOGEN RECEPTORS AND GPIIB MOLECULES ON UREMIC PLATELETS - EFFECT OF RECOMBINANT-HUMAN-ERYTHROPOIETIN THERAPY

In 14 chronic uraemic patients on regular haemodialysis treatment mean numbers of fibrinogen (Fg) receptors and glycoprotein IIb (GPIIb) mol ecules on one blood platelet were 8370 +/- 1282 and 15694 +/- 2102 res pectively, and they were significantly lowered in comparison with thos e found in 14 healthy persons (37826 +/- 966 and 57994 +/- 6824 respec tively). A high positive correlation was found between numbers of GPII b molecules and those of Fg receptors both in chronic uraemic patients and healthy subjects. Four-month treatment of haemodialysis patients with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) induced significant ris es in haematocrit from 22.3 +/- 1.2 to 31.2 +/- 1.7%, blood platelet c ount from 164000 +/- 27000/mu l to 206000 +/- 16000/mu l and mean plat elet volume from 7.08 +/- 0.29 fl to 8.26 +/- 0.22 fl. However, in hae modialysis patients numbers of the investigated surface platelet recep tors, measured at 8 and 16 week of rHuEpo treatment, remained unchange d.