Summary
Platelet production time (PPT), plasmatic β-thromboglobulin (β-TG), platelet density
distribution, and mepacrine labelled granular content of the platelets were simultaneously
determined in a group of elderly subjects. Vascular deterioration, assessed by the
history and clinical examination, was variable in extension and severity. PPT was
slightly but not significantly shortened, whereas the raised β-TG level and diminished
platelet density and granular content suggested an in vivo release reaction process.
The results are not correlated with the apparent severity of vascular deterioration,
and the release reaction may not be solely related to enhanced platelet-vessel wall
interactions.
Keywords
Platelets - Elderly people
