Better detection of platelet aggregation in patients with metabolic syndrome using epinephrine and ADP

Background: Patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) often have increased platelet aggregation. In order to determine which concentration detects a higher level of platelet aggregation in patients with MS, the agonists ADP and epinephrine were compared.

Methods: The study included 56 subjects with MS and 53 healthy subjects. Blood pressure, weight, body-mass index, and hip-to-waist ratio were collected from all subjects. Insulin, glucose, total serum cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, total triglycerides, markers of plasma atherogenicity, and indices of insulin resistance were measured in all participants. For aggregometry assays, the Born method was used. Platelets were treated with ADP and epinephrine in decreasing concentrations of 2.34, 1.17, and 0.58 μM, as well as, 11.0, 1.1, and 0.55 μM, respectively. ROC curves were plotted to define the diagnostic efficiency of epinephrine levels for MS.

Results: Among healthy individuals and MS patients significant differences were observed in body weight, body-mass index, waist-circumference, levels of insulin, indices of insulin resistance, and levels of HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and total triglycerides. There was a significant difference in the detection of increased platelet aggregation using 11.0 μM and 0.55 μM epinephrine and 0.58 μM ADP. With both agonists, ROC analysis showed an area under the curve of >0.8 for 11.0 μM epinephrine and 2.34 μM ADP. However, for MS patients, 11.0 μM epinephrine had a slightly better diagnostic efficiency than 2.34 μM ADP.

Conclusions: It was found that 11.0 μM epinephrine and 2.34 μM ADP detected better platelet aggregation in patients with MS than in healthy subject. Both concentrations detected increased platelet aggregation in patients with MS.