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Updated: Feb 2, 2026
Procoagulant Platelet Characterization by Measuring Phosphatidylserine Exposure and Microvesicle Release from Human Purified Platelets
Published on: November 29, 2024
Circulating microvesicles are less procoagulant and carry different miRNA cargo in myelodysplasia
Anoop K Enjeti1, Anita Ariyarajah2, Angel D'Crus2
1Haematology Department, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Australia; Pathology North-Hunter, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton, Australia; Hunter Cancer Research Alliance, NSW, Australia.
Background And Aims:
Myelodysplasia (MDS) is characterised by abnormal haematopoiesis and increased risk of bleeding. Microvesicles (MV) play a key role in coagulation and their impact in MDS is unknown.
Methods:
Platelet free plasma from 35 red-cell transfusion-dependent MDS patients and 15 controls were analysed. Pro-coagulant function was assessed by the XaCT assay and by thrombin generation (ETP). Total MV were enumerated by nano-tracking analysis. MV subsets were quantified by flow cytometry after staining with specific antibodies for various endovascular cell types. Small RNA was quantitated and sequenced. The MV measurements were correlated with MDS clinical risk scores and level of transfusion dependence.
Results:
The pro-coagulant function of MV was significantly lower in MDS. All the MV subtypes, as measured by flow cytometric markers, were also significantly lower. The small RNA and miRNA cargo were significantly higher in MDS. The miRNA profile showed that mir-28 and mir-LETD7 were under expressed whilst mir-584J and mir-4485 were over expressed in MV from MDS.
Conclusions:
Circulating MV in MDS show reduced pro-coagulant functional activity, reduced subtypes by flow cytometry and significantly different miRNA content. However, the levels or subtypes of MV did not predict the clinical phenotype or level of transfusion dependence.
Insights
Microvesicles (MV) in myelodysplasia (MDS) exhibit reduced pro-coagulant function and altered miRNA content. These changes did not correlate with clinical severity or transfusion needs in MDS patients.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Coagulation Science
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Myelodysplasia (MDS) is characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and a heightened risk of bleeding.
- Microvesicles (MVs) are critical in regulating blood coagulation, but their specific role in MDS remains unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional activity, subtype distribution, and small RNA content of circulating microvesicles in patients with myelodysplasia.
- To determine if microvesicle characteristics correlate with clinical risk scores and transfusion dependence in MDS.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of platelet-free plasma from 35 MDS patients and 15 controls.
- Assessment of pro-coagulant function using XaCT assay and thrombin generation (ETP).
- Quantification of total and subset microvesicles via nano-tracking and flow cytometry; small RNA and miRNA sequencing.
Main Results:
- Microvesicles from MDS patients displayed significantly lower pro-coagulant function and reduced subtype counts.
- MDS-derived microvesicles showed significantly higher levels of small RNA and miRNA cargo.
- Specific miRNA profiles revealed under-expression of miR-28 and miR-LET7d, and over-expression of miR-584 and miR-4485 in MDS.
Conclusions:
- Circulating microvesicles in MDS exhibit diminished pro-coagulant activity, altered subtype composition, and distinct miRNA profiles.
- Microvesicle levels, subtypes, or miRNA content did not serve as predictors for clinical phenotype or transfusion requirements in the studied MDS cohort.
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