Abstract
Plasma β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) and platelet factor 4 (Pf-4) levels were assayed in 34 healthy controls and 67 patients suffering from cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases. Both were significantly increased in 4 acute myocardial infarctionn patients and 4 cerebral infarction patients compared to controls. In contrast, the mean levels in old myocardial infarction and angina pectoris patients were almost within normal limits. In 38 patients with atrial fibrillation with or without heart valvular disease, assay of β-TG gave a range of 10-175ng/ml (mean±SD, 55.0±43.0ng/ml) and that of Pf-4 gave a range of 3-99.5ng/ml (mean±SD, 26.0±34.6ng/ml). These were significantly greater (p<0.005, p<0.025, respectively) than the levels of controls. These results indicated that the assay of plasma β-TG and Pf-4 levels may be useful for the diagnosis of acute thromboembolic diseases and for assessing the participitation of platelets in prethrombotic states like atrial fibrillation in heart diseases.
