Abstract
A morphometric analysis of platelets from 5 patients with primary thrombocythemia (PT) was performed with a manual optical picture analyzing system. We have measured the platelet profile area, the number of dense granule (dg) and atypical dense granule (d'g: organelles with a very electron dense granular and/or reticular structure), and also examined the platelet volume with the coulter counter channelyzer and the platelet functions. In this study, parameters were platelet counts, mean platelet area (MPA: total platelet area/total platelet number) and frequency of dg and d'g (F. DG: number/platelet area 100cm2).
The change of MPA including pseudopods showed parallel with the platelet volume measured with the coulter counter channelyzer. F. DG in all patients with PT was increased independently of aspirin ingestion, and MPA was increased in PT without aspirin ingestion. These findings were the common features of myeloproliferative disorders. There were a tendency of positive correlationship between F. DG and platelet counts, and a tendency of negative correlationship between F. DG and MPA, however, no correlationship platelet functions and F. DG. The effects of aspirin ingestion seemed to be the decrease of the platelet volume and the increase of F. DG.
