Platelet adenine nucleotide levels in patients with Dacron vascular prostheses

Platelets adenine nucleotide levels were determined in 11 patients with Dacron bifemoral aortic prostheses using high performance liquid chromatography. Total platelet and dense granule adenine nucleotide levels were measured in neutralized perchloric acid extracts prepared from gel-filtered platelet suspensions and from platelet supernatants following thrombin-induced release of granule constituents respectively. Dense granule adenine nucleotide levels were significantly decreased in the patient group compared with age and sex-matched controls (p less than 0.01), whereas no differences in cytoplasmic adenine nucleotide levels were observed (p greater than 0.2). Platelet survival measurements were made on 3 patients; when grouped with control subjects, a positive correlation was observed between platelet survival and platelet dense granule ADP (r = 0.96; p less than 0.01). These results suggest that platelet dense granule adenine nucleotide content may be a clinically significant indicator of vascular graft thrombogenesis.