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(Circulation. 1999;100:e86-e87.)
© 1999 American Heart Association, Inc.

Circulation Electronic Pages

Increased Membrane and Soluble P-Selectin in Atrial Fibrillation

Andrew D. Blann; Foo Li-Saw-Hee; Gregory Y.H. Lip

Hemostasis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Unit, University Department of Medicine, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK

	Introduction

 
To the Editor:

Inappropriate platelet activation and thrombus formation are frequent findings in many cardiovascular disorders and are believed to have an important pathogenic role. P-selectin, the membrane of the component of -granule and membrane of the Weibel-Palade body, aids the adhesion of leukocytes bearing its ligand. Increased expression of P-selectin at the surface of the platelet, as defined by flow cytometry, is therefore a likely marker of the activation of these cells.¹

The recent article by Minamino and colleagues² reporting increased expression of P-selectin by platelets in subjects with atrial fibrillation (AF) is therefore in keeping with platelet activation and a prothrombotic state in AF, leading to the high risk of stroke and thromboembolism in this common condition. Nevertheless, a soluble form of P-selectin (sP-selectin) is also present in the plasma, and increasing evidence points toward elevated plasma levels among patients with thrombotic disorders, stroke, and atherosclerosis, thus providing an additional tool to study platelet activation.^{3 4} Similar to Minamino and colleagues,² we hypothesised that patients with AF would have raised levels of sP-selectin.

To investigate this further, we recruited 52 consecutive patients (45 males, mean age 66 years) with chronic AF who were not taking any antithrombotic therapy and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. sP-selectin was measured in citrated plasma by commercial ELISA (R&D Systems). Mean±SD levels in the patients with AF were 232±181 ng/mL compared with 161±82 ng/mL in the controls (unpaired t test P=0.015). Like Minamino and colleagues,² we would interpret our preliminary data showing . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Tetsuo Minamino, MD; Masafumi Kitakaze, MD; Shoji Sanada, MD; Hirsoshi Asanuma, MD; Toshiya Kurotobi, MD; Yukihiro Koretsune, MD; Masatake Fukunami, MD; Tsunehiko Kuzuya, MD; Noritake Hoki, MD; Masatsugu Hori, MD

Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan

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