Abstract
Plasma β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF-4) were investigated in chronic renal failure with various degrees in renal function, platelet function and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) concentrations. β2-MG stands for low molecular weight protein. The effects of aspirin and hemodialysis were also observed.
β-TG was significantly increased in both patients with chronic renal failure prior to dialysis (N-HD) and those on hemodialysis (HD). β-TG was greater in HD than in N-HD. In N-HD, correlation coefficient between β-TG and creatinine and that between β-TG and BUN were 0.71 (p<0.001) and 0.66 (p<0.01), respectively. After hemodialysis, no change in PF-4 was observed. β-TG of pre-and post-dialysis were analyzed in a case (E. K.) by gel filtration through Sephadex G-75 packed in Pharmacia acrylic column (K9/60). Compaired with pre-dialysis, higher molecular weight fraction of β-TG was increased in postdialysis. No significant correlations were observed between β-TG and platelet aggregability, and between β-TG and β2-MG in HD. The effect of aspirin administration on β-TG was minimal. PF-4 was increased in HD, but not in N-HD. The data suggested that plasma β-TG and PF-4 levels were increased in chronic renal failure due to reduction of renal function which metabolizes such proteins with molecular weight less than 50, 000 daltons as β2-MG.
