Physiologic variables affecting thromboxane B2 production in human whole blood

Thrombin-induced thromboxane (TX) A2 production in whole blood, as reflected by serum TXB2 measurements, has proven to be a simple and reproducible capacity-related index of platelet TXA2 production ex vivo. In the present study we have determined the influence of a number of physiologic variables on serum TXB2 measurements performed by radioimmunoassay in a group of 177 subjects undergoing evaluation for atherosclerosis risk factors. Serum TXB2 averaged 300 +/- 108 ng/ml in the whole group, with a normal distribution. No statistically significant correlation was found between serum TXB2 and the continuous variables examined (age, BMI, blood pressure, cigarettes, serum cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and wine consumption) except for the number of platelets. Platelet TXB2 production did not differ between men and women (296 +/- 119 vs 302 +/- 100 ng/ml). We conclude that, within the limits of the examined variables, serum TXB2 is an easily measurable and highly reproducible capacity index primarily related to platelet cyclooxygenase and TX-synthase activity, which can be used for monitoring drug- or disease-induced changes of these enzyme activities.