EDTA-induced changes in platelet structure and function: clot retraction

Ethylenediamine tetracetic acid (EDTA) is known to cause structural, biochemical and functional injury to blood platelets, including irreversible dissociation of the fibrinogen receptor, glycoprotein alpha IIb beta 3 (GPIIb/IIIa). Despite inability to adhere to glass, spread, and to aggregate in response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and other agonists, EDTA-treated platelets support clot retraction as well as untreated cells. The present study has used clot retraction under isometric tension and electron microscopy to determine if there are any differences in platelet-fibrin interactions of clots formed from blood collected in EDTA or platelets from blood drawn into citrate (CCD) anticoagulants. No physical differences could be identified. Polymerizing fibrin bound intimately to aggregates developing from EDTA platelets undergoing shape change, internal transformation, adhesion and spreading on fibrin strands oriented in the long axis of contraction. The results suggest that reassociation of irreversibly dissociated GPIIb/IIIa takes place immediately after initiation of clot retraction, or that a significant proportion of GPIIb/IIIa receptors on resting platelets are inaccessible to EDTA and become available after activation by thrombin.