From the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital,
Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
Correspondence to Dr R.F. Storey, BSc, BM, MRCP, Research Registrar in Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK. E-mail mmxrfs{at}mmn1.nottingham.ac.uk
Methods and ResultsThree GP IIb/IIIa antagonists,
eptifibatide, MK-0852, and GR144053, were compared in PRP
(turbidimetry) and whole blood (platelet counting with an Ultra-Flo
100 Platelet Counter), with ADP and collagen used as agonists.
Compared with hirudin, citrate enhanced the potency of eptifibatide by
up to 4-fold in both PRP and whole blood
(P<0.0005), modestly enhanced MK-0852
potency (P=0.001), and had no effect on GR144053.
Potency measured in PRP was 2- to 3-fold greater compared with whole
blood for MK-0852 and GR144053 but 3- to 4-fold greater for
eptifibatide. Simultaneous turbidimetry and platelet
counting performed in PRP indicated that this is because GP IIb/IIIa
antagonists are more potent inhibitors of in
vitro macroaggregation than microaggregation, this effect being greater
for eptifibatide in hirudinized PRP compared with GR144053
(P=0.032).
ConclusionsGP IIb/IIIa antagonist potency is
variably enhanced by citrate. Macroaggregation is inhibited more
effectively than microaggregation, most markedly in the case of
eptifibatide in hirudinized blood. These observations have implications
for the interpretation and comparison of pharmacodynamic assays and
possibly for the risk/benefit ratio of different agents.
Currently, there is no widely available method for rapidly
measuring the extent of GP IIb/IIIa receptor blockade ex vivo, although
a fibrinogen-coated bead assay has been
described.16 Platelet aggregation can be
measured in whole blood by counting the number of single platelets
remaining after aggregation relative to a fixed red blood cell
count17 and therefore is highly sensitive to
formation of small aggregates, unlike PRP turbidimetry, which fails to
detect formation of aggregates with fewer than
The purpose of this study was to compare the standard platelet
aggregation methodology used in clinical trials of GP IIb/IIIa
antagonists, which provides information on the effects of
the drugs on platelet macroaggregation in PRP, with a method of
aggregometry based on platelet counting. We studied 3 different
antagonists, eptifibatide (Integrilin, a cyclic
heptapeptide based on the KGD sequence),11
MK-0852 (a cyclic heptapeptide based on the RGD
sequence),19 and GR144053 (a nonpeptide
high-affinity antagonist),20 with ADP
and collagen as agonists and sodium citrate and hirudin as
anticoagulants.
Eptifibatide (COR Therapeutics), MK-0852 (Merck Sharp and Dohme), and
GR144053 (Glaxo) were prepared to obtain a range of doubling
concentrations in normal saline previously determined to give a full
range of inhibition.
For PRP turbidimetry, a PAP-4 aggregometer (Biodata) was calibrated
with PPP, and the stirring speed was set at 1000 rpm. Aliquots (460
µL) of PRP were placed in cuvettes containing magnetic stirrer bars,
and 20-µL aliquots of normal saline (control) or
antagonist were added to each cuvette. The samples were
warmed at 37°C for 1 minute, then stirred for 2 minutes to obtain a
stable baseline. Twenty microliters of either ADP 750 µmol/L
(final concentration, 30 µmol/L; Sigma) or collagen 50 µg/mL
(final concentration, 2 µg/mL; Nycomed) was then added, and change in
light transmittance was recorded for 4 minutes (for ADP) or 6
minutes (for collagen). All assays were complete within 2 hours of
venesection.
For whole-blood aggregation studies, 460-µL aliquots of incubated
whole blood were placed into test tubes containing stirrer bars, and 20
µL of normal saline (control) or antagonist was added.
Blood (460 µL) was also fixed with 920 µL fixing
solution21 (saline with 4.6 nmol/L
Na2EDTA, 4.5 mmol/L
Na2HPO2, 1.6 mmol/L
KH2PO4, and 0.16% wt/vol
formaldehyde, pH 7.4) for a baseline platelet count. The samples
were stirred for 2 minutes in a water bath at 37°C, and 20 µL of
either ADP or collagen was then added. Aggregation was terminated by
addition of 880 µL fixing solution after stimulation for 4 minutes
(for ADP samples) or 6 minutes (for collagen samples). Platelet
counts were then performed on an Ultra-Flo 100 platelet counter
(Becton Dickinson), and percentage aggregation was calculated from
single-platelet counts before and after stimulation with agonist.
All assays were complete within 90 minutes of venesection.
Percentage inhibition was calculated for each stimulated sample as
percentage of control aggregation for both turbidimetry and whole-blood
aggregometry, and results were plotted on a scale of
log(antagonist concentration) against inhibition. From
these graphs, values for 20%, 50%, and 80% inhibition were obtained
(IC values).
Part 2: Simultaneous Assessment of Single-Platelet
Counts and Turbidimetry in PRP
Turbidimetry was performed as above, but 460-µL samples of PRP were
fixed as for whole blood at the start of the experiment and aggregation
was terminated as for whole blood by the addition of fixing solution 2
minutes after addition of ADP. Counts were performed by first counting
precisely 15-µL aliquots of the washed red-cell preparation, adding
precisely 36 µL of the fixed PRP samples and recounting, then
subtracting the initial count to give an estimate of the
single-platelet count in the PRP.
Levels of inhibition were calculated as previously.
In all cases, statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA with
SPSS for Windows software.
Part 2: Single-Platelet Counting in PRP Compared With PRP
Turbidimetry
Moreover, this differential effect was significantly more marked for
eptifibatide at physiological calcium ion levels
than for GR144053, explaining at least part of the greater difference
noted for eptifibatide, compared with MK-0852 and GR144053, between
hirudinized whole blood and hirudinized PRP in part 1. For
eptifibatide, when inhibition of ADP-induced aggregation in PRP reached
100% assessed by turbidimetry, only 60% to 70% inhibition of
aggregation was assessed by single-platelet counting (data not
illustrated); this latter figure was higher for GR144053 at 70% to
80%. Similarly, 80% inhibition of the light response correlated with
This study also demonstrates the value of whole-blood
single-platelet counting as a sensitive tool for assessing the
efficacy of GP IIb/IIIa antagonists, providing a simpler,
more rapid alternative to PRP turbidimetry and yielding specific
information on microaggregate formation, which is not obtained with
turbidimetry. The degree of inhibition calculated by
single-platelet counting is always less than that calculated by
turbidimetry, in view of differences between the dynamics of
microaggregate and macroaggregate formation; in other words, it is
easier to inhibit the formation of large aggregates of platelets
than to prevent pairing of platelets and formation of smaller
aggregates. However, eptifibatide in the presence of
physiological ionized calcium levels is more
effective at preventing macroaggregate formation than preventing
microaggregate formation compared with GR144053 or MK-0852 (regardless
of ionized calcium level) or eptifibatide in citrated blood or plasma.
The mechanism for this cannot be explained simply by differences
between the antagonists in their affinity for the resting
GP IIb/IIIa receptor. A number of possible mechanisms can be
hypothesized: First, different antagonists will have
different ratios of affinities for the resting receptor and the
activated receptor, and because microaggregate formation is
initiated within 1 second in response to ADP,22
inhibition of this process will be more effective when there is
occupancy of the resting receptor by antagonist, given the
relatively high plasma concentration of fibrinogen, whereas
macroaggregate formation occurs progressively over a considerably
longer time period, during which competitive antagonism may play a more
important role. Second, adhesive proteins other than fibrinogen, such
as thrombospondin,23 may play an important role
in macroaggregation, and there may be differential inhibition of
binding of these proteins compared with fibrinogen. Third, there may be
a variable inhibition of the release reaction by the
antagonists as a result of outside-in signaling, which may
have a greater effect on in vitro macroaggregation.
These differential effects on microaggregation and macroaggregation may
have implications for the risk/benefit ratio of different GP IIb/IIIa
antagonists. An antagonist that completely
inhibits macroaggregate formation in response to ADP and submaximal
concentrations of more potent agonists but yet has modest effects on
microaggregate formation may be safer than an antagonist
that has a marked effect on microaggregate formation when there is
therapeutic inhibition of macroaggregation, assuming that the
microaggregates are sufficient to ensure hemostasis. Indeed, such
differences may partly explain why there has been variability in the
amount of major serious bleeding events between trials despite similar
levels of inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation in
citrated PRP,1 2 8 9 14 although different levels
of heparin dosing may explain a large part of this
variability.24 Furthermore, the PURSUIT study
with eptifibatide has shown a modest benefit in terms of reduced
combined incidence of death and myocardial infarction and only a small
increase in major bleeding events,25 and the
differences between this outcome and those of other studies may relate
to levels of inhibition of microaggregation.
Higher concentrations of all antagonists were necessary to
inhibit collagen-induced aggregation compared with ADP-induced
aggregation, and the differences in IC50 were
similar for all 3 antagonists by all methods. It is well
recognized that more potent agonists, such as collagen, lead to surface
expression of an internal pool of GP IIb/IIIa receptors, partially with
bound fibrinogen26,27; under these circumstances,
therefore, there is a subpopulation of receptors to which fibrinogen
has bound noncompetitively, and more extensive blockade of other
receptors is necessary to prevent aggregate formation. If ADP serves as
a rapid-acting agonist to sequester platelets in areas of
developing intra-arterial thrombus where they may be
exposed to more potent agonists, such as thrombin, that can partially
overcome the effects of GP IIb/IIIa antagonists at current
therapeutic levels, then inhibition of ADP-induced microaggregate
formation may be more clinically relevant than inhibition of in vitro
macroaggregate formation. This would then contradict the assumption
that inhibition of macroaggregation is a reliable guide to in vivo
antithrombotic efficacy and would undermine the hypothesis that
differences between antagonists in their effects on
macroaggregate and microaggregate inhibition may influence the
risk/benefit ratio. Further evidence is required to establish the
relative importance of inhibition of microaggregation compared with
inhibition of macroaggregation with regard to both safety and
efficacy.
One limitation of this study in relating the in vitro findings to ex
vivo assays was the addition of antagonist in vitro and
comparing final plasma concentrations with final whole-blood
concentrations. In ex vivo studies, the antagonist is
present in whole blood before preparation of PRP. The effect of
hematocrit would in fact enhance the differences between whole-blood
inhibition and PRP inhibition seen in this study, at least for
ADP-induced aggregation, in which ADP was used at a maximal
concentration for both methods. Another important reason for using a
maximal concentration of ADP was that erythrocytes release ADP on
stirring.28 Citrate anticoagulation may enhance
the response to ADP by enabling thromboxane
A2 synthesis and granule
secretion,29 and it was therefore interesting
that citrate did not increase the IC50
measurements for GR144053, suggesting that citrate does not enhance
expression of internal GP IIb/IIIa receptors in response to ADP or
collagen. With regard to the use of a submaximal dose of collagen in
this study, it is necessary to acknowledge that when the same
submaximal dose of any agonist is added to platelet preparations in
both the presence and the absence of erythrocytes, the hematocrit
effect will lead to a higher plasma level of agonist in the former, and
it may artifactually appear that erythrocytes are enhancing the
platelet responses. Overall, the effect of hematocrit on both
agonist and antagonist concentrations in this study
emphasizes the importance of performing combined turbidimetry and
single-platelet counting in PRP to establish the cause of the
differences seen between PRP and whole blood.
Further ex vivo comparisons are needed to quantify differences between
whole-blood single-platelet counting and turbidimetry. Ideally,
future clinical trials of GP IIb/IIIa antagonists should
incorporate dose adjustment according to a suitable pharmacodynamic
measure, particularly with chronic administration of oral
antagonists, and whole-blood single-platelet counting
merits assessment as a means for monitoring treatment and for
determining the clinical importance of inhibition of
microaggregation.
Received December 8, 1997;
revision received June 1, 1998;
accepted June 16, 1998.
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© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.
Clinical Investigation and Reports
Differential Effects of Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Antagonists on Platelet Microaggregate and Macroaggregate Formation and Effect of Anticoagulant on Antagonist Potency
Implications for Assay Methodology and Comparison of Different Antagonists
![]()
Abstract
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
BackgroundCitrated
platelet-rich plasma (PRP) turbidimetry is used for assessing
pharmacodynamic effects of glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa
antagonists in clinical trials. However, citrate can
enhance the potency of at least eptifibatide (Integrilin), and
turbidimetry is insensitive to microaggregate formation. We compared
PRP turbidimetry, as a measure of macroaggregate formation, with
single-platelet counting in both whole blood and PRP as a measure
of microaggregate formation, using both citrate and hirudin
anticoagulation.
Key Words: glycoproteins calcium platelet aggregation inhibitors
![]()
Introduction
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptors
bind fibrinogen and other proteins and mediate the final common pathway
of platelet aggregation. Agents that interfere with fibrinogen
binding to these receptors (GP IIb/IIIa antagonists) have
been developed extensively as antithrombotic agents and are gaining a
place in the management of patients with acute coronary
syndromes.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Trials of these drugs in patients
undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary
angioplasty and in patients suffering acute nonQ-wave myocardial
infarction or unstable angina have assessed platelet aggregation
response in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) by turbidimetry, most often
with citrate anticoagulation28,1014; however,
the techniques required for this are time-consuming, may require large
volumes of blood, and require particular skill and specialized
equipment. Preparation of PRP creates changes to the milieu and density
of platelets, and it may not be obvious how this affects ex vivo
assays of different platelet antagonists or how the
results obtained may be compared. The choice of anticoagulant may be
crucial: it is now realized that citrate anticoagulation led to falsely
high estimates of the efficacy of eptifibatide due to lowering of
ionized calcium levels in vitro to 40 to 50
µmol/L.15 Hirudin is a direct thrombin
inhibitor that maintains physiological
calcium ion levels at 1.1 to 1.2 mmol/L.
100
platelets.18 It offers the advantages of
rapid results without imposing too many changes on the in vivo
platelet environment.
![]()
Methods
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Part 1: In Vitro Platelet Aggregation Assessments
Venous blood was obtained from healthy volunteers via a 19-gauge
needle and syringe, and aliquots (9 mL) were immediately transferred to
tubes containing either 1 mL of 3.13% (wt/vol) sodium citrate
dihydrate or 1 mL hirudin (Revasc, Novartis) 500 mg/L
in normal saline. Twenty milliliters of blood was incubated in a water
bath at 37°C for 30 minutes for whole-blood aggregation studies, and
60 mL of blood was centrifuged at 180g for 10
minutes to prepare PRP, which was separated into clean tubes. PPP was
prepared by centrifuging the remaining blood at 1500g for 10
minutes. Platelet counts were performed on the PRP, and the latter
was diluted with platelet-poor plasma (PPP) to obtain a final
platelet count of 300 000 platelets/µL.
Venous blood was obtained from healthy volunteers as above, with
only hirudin used as anticoagulant, and PRP and PPP were prepared as
above. After preparation of PPP, the remaining blood was diluted to the
initial volume with PBS and centrifuged at 180g for
10 minutes. The supernatant was removed, this process was repeated,
then 1 final dilution was made to the initial volume to produce a
washed red-cell preparation. Dilutions of eptifibatide and GR144053
were made as above, and ADP was used as the agonist.
![]()
Results
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Part 1: In Vitro Inhibition of Aggregation by Eptifibatide,
MK-0852, and GR144053 in PRP and Whole Blood
Mean inhibition of platelet aggregation by eptifibatide,
MK-0852, and GR144053 is represented in Figure 1
. Figure 2
shows the ratios, according to antagonist and
anticoagulant, of IC50 values measured by
whole-blood single-platelet counting and by PRP turbidimetry. Table 1
summarizes the concentrations at
which antagonists yielded 50% inhibition
(IC50) for different methodologies. All the
results show that higher concentrations of any GP IIb/IIIa
antagonist are required to inhibit platelet aggregation
as assessed by platelet counting in whole blood compared with PRP
turbidimetry. Eptifibatide was markedly more effective when citrate was
used as anticoagulant rather than hirudin, both in whole blood and in
PRP (P<0.0005); there was a lesser effect for MK-0852
(P=0.001) and no effect for GR144053. There was a more
marked difference in inhibition with eptifibatide, compared with the
other agents, between hirudinized PRP and hirudinized whole blood
(P<0.01).

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Figure 1. Mean inhibition (n=6) of (a) ADP-induced and (b)
collagen-induced platelet aggregation in citrated and hirudinized
whole blood and PRP by eptifibatide (top), MK-0852 (middle), and
GR144053 (bottom).

View larger version (54K):
[in a new window]
Figure 2. Mean ratios of IC50 values (n=6), with
SD bars, estimated by whole-blood single-platelet counting compared
with PRP turbidimetry. Ratio for eptifibatide in hirudin is
significantly higher than that for eptifibatide in citrate and for
other antagonists in hirudin and citrate.
View this table:
[in a new window]
Table 1. IC50 Values Determined With Whole-Blood
Single-Platelet Counting and PRP Turbidimetry and ADP and Collagen as
Agonists
Table 2
provides the
IC50 values determined for eptifibatide and
GR144053 in hirudinized PRP by both turbidimetry and
single-platelet counting and illustrates that when results obtained
by whole-blood single-platelet counting are compared with those
obtained by PRP turbidimetry, the major factor accounting for the
perceived difference in efficacy of antagonists is the
differential effect on microaggregation and macroaggregation. A 3-fold
higher concentration of eptifibatide was required to inhibit
ADP-induced microaggregate formation than was required to inhibit
macroaggregate formation.
View this table:
[in a new window]
Table 2. Average IC50 Values for Simultaneous
Turbidimetry and Single-Platelet Counting in Hirudinized PRP
With ADP as Agonist
10% and 20% inhibition of the single-platelet count fall by
eptifibatide and GR144053, respectively, indicating sub- stantial
microaggregation despite high inhibition of macroaggregation.
![]()
Discussion
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
This study illustrates the variable effect of citrate
anticoagulation on the efficacy of GP IIb/IIIa antagonists
compared with direct thrombin inhibition with hirudin, which maintains
ionized calcium at physiological levels. The marked
effect of citrate on eptifibatide previously demonstrated in PRP by
turbidimetry15 is confirmed with whole-blood
single-platelet counting. Phillips et al15
reviewed the evidence that lowering divalent cation levels affects the
structure of GP IIb/IIIa. Clearly, alterations in the structure of GP
IIb/IIIa induced by citrate affect the binding of some ligands but not
others, although it is not clear whether antagonists are
acting on more than 1 binding site. The effect of citrate on individual
GP IIb/IIIa antagonists needs to be taken into account in
assessment of a method for assay of GP IIb/IIIa receptor blockade.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Novartis Pharmaceuticals Ltd for providing
the hirudin, Revasc. We are also grateful to COR Therapeutics, Merck
Sharp and Dohme, and Glaxo for supplies of eptifibatide, MK-0852, and
GR144053, respectively, and to P.H. Riley for statistical
support.
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References
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
1.
Lefkovits J, Ivanhoe RJ, Califf RM, Bergelson BA,
Anderson KM, Stoner GL, Weisman HF, Topol EJ, for the EPIC
Investigators. Effects of platelet glycoprotein
IIb/IIIa receptor blockade by a chimeric monoclonal antibody
(abciximab) on acute and six-month outcomes after
percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
for acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 1996;77:10451051.[Medline]
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