Spectrum of platelet aggregation abnormalities in myeloproliferative diseases

Several platelet abnormalities have been described in myeloproliferative diseases. The present study deals with 81 patients with polycythaemia vera, chronic myelogenous leukemia, essential thrombocythaemia and idiopathic myelofibrosis, and reports the analysis of the findings in platelet-induced aggregation. Platelet abnormalities induced by ADP, adrenaline and collagen were found in 41.9% of the patients. A defect of primary aggregation was documented in 13 cases and one of them showed an aggregation pattern similar to that of Glanzmann's disease. Fifteen patients had an impairment of secondary aggregation, and in one case of this group the platelet malondialdehyde and serotonin findings were consistent with a defect resembling that of typical congenital storage pool deficiency. A disturbance of the arachidonic acid pathways associated with a storage pool deficiency was found in a third patient belonging to a group with abnormalities of primary and secondary aggregation. In conclusion, platelets in myeloproliferative diseases have several defects and in a few cases their combination is similar to those of congenital diseases.