Comparison of platelet fibronectin, ADP-induced platelet aggregation and serum total nitric oxide (NOx) levels in angiographically determined coronary artery disease

Abstract Introduction Coronary thrombosis is an important determinant of prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Fibronectin is also found in platelets within the α secretory granules and secreted following platelet stimulation by a variety of agonist. Available data suggest that expression of platelet fibronectin on the cell surface may indicate a role in platelet aggregation and adhesion to fibrin thrombi and connective tissue. Clear evidence has emerged that a concerted action of nitric oxide (NO) generated by either endothelial or platelet NO synthases regulates platelet activation, causing inhibition of adhesion and aggregation. The aim of the present study was determining and correlating the serum total NO (NOx), platelet fibronectin and ADP-induced platelet aggregation levels in coronary artery disease (CAD) patient subgroups. Materials and methods A total of 43 coronary artery disease patients were included in this study. Peripheral blood samples from patients with coronary artery disease were obtained from the Department of Cardiology. Platelet aggregation tests with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) were analyzed by using aggregometer. Platelet fibronectin concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum total nitric oxide (NOx) levels were determined by colorimetric method. Results In patients with double-vessel disease, platelet fibronectin levels were found to be significantly higher than no-vessel disease ( p  p  p  p  r  = 0.315, p