Significance of membrane glycoproteins in platelet interaction with oxidized low-density lipoprotein

The significance of three platelet membrane glycoproteins, (CD62p, CD63, and CD36) was studied in platelet interaction with native and copper-oxidized plasma low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Native LDL acquired platelet-activating ability only after oxidation. Flow-cytometric studies showed that CD62P and CD63 were rapidly expressed on platelets at a low concentration of oxidized LDL, indicating that they are more sensitive markers than platelet aggregation for detection of platelet activation by oxidized LDL. CD36 was found to be contributing to the binding and activation of platelets with oxidized LDL, but not to the binding of platelets with native LDL. Although the presence of oxidized LDL in plasma is known, its effect on platelet function remains to be studied.