Summary
The shape of platelets in circulating blood and alterations of this shape after the
contact of platelets with glass surfaces, as well as spontaneous platelet aggregation,
were examined in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and in controls.
The shape of circulating platelets were studied by scanning electron microscopy and
the spreading - by differential interference contrast microscopy.
Most platelets circulating in the blood of the patients with AMI had non-activated
discoid shape; the percentage of these nonactivated platelets was similar to that
in the control group. However, these platelets of many AMI patients acquired an increased
ability to undergo morphological changes after contact with glass. The percentage
of spread platelets in controls was never higher than 50%. In contrast, this percent
was higher than 50% in 73% of patients with AMI. Increased spontaneous platelet aggregation
was determined only in 30% of AMI patients.
Keywords
Platelets - DIC microscopy - SEM microscopy - Myocardial infarction
