Stability and utility of flow cytometric platelet activation tests: A modality to bridge the gap between diagnostic demand and supply.

Light transmission aggregometry (LTA) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of platelet function disorders (PFDs). The requirement of customized aggregometer, large blood volume, normal platelet count and processing within 4 hours of venipuncture for LTA makes platelet function testing inaccessible to wider population. Flow cytometric platelet activation test (PACT) may overcome these limitations.

Laboratory characterization of obligate carriers of type 3 von Willebrand disease with a potential role for Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA-200).

Introduction: Type 3 von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by undetectable von Willebrand Antigen (VWF:Ag). Carriers of type 3 VWD carry one null allele and have von Willebrand factor (VWF) at about 50% of normal. The aim of this study was to characterize type 3 VWD carriers and to study the role of Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA-200) in this cohort.

Diagnostic utility of flow cytometry based coated-platelets assay as a biomarker to predict thrombotic or hemorrhagic phenotype in acute stroke.

Background: Coated-platelets are sub-population of platelets "coated" with highly procoagulant proteins and phosphatidylserine that sustains thrombin generation. They are produced upon dual agonist stimulation by collagen and thrombin. This study was conducted to assess if there was any difference in the levels of coated-platelets in patients with primary intracranial hemorrhage (PICH) and ischemic stroke due to large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) as compared to healthy controls, and to see if coated-platelet levels had any influence on the hemorrhagic transformation (HT) of ischemic stroke.

Does Hemodialysis Need to be Initiated to Improve Platelet Function in CKD G5 Patients? A Pilot Prospective, Observational Cohort Study.

Introduction: We previously showed that patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) Stage G4-5 have normal bleeding times. This made us question whether hemodialysis (HD) initiation was really necessary solely to improve platelet function.

Methods: In this prospective observational study, two 5 ml citrated blood samples and one 2 ml EDTA blood sample were collected from incident HD patients fulfilling inclusion criteria prior to HD initiation (baseline sample) and after three sessions of short duration, low flow, counter-current HD.

Clinical utility of activated partial thromboplastin time clot waveform analysis and thrombin generation test in the evaluation of bleeding phenotype in Hemophilia A.

Context: Hemophilia A is classified as mild, moderate, and severe based on Factor VIII levels (FVIII). Clot-based assays only detect initiation of thrombin generation, hence FVIII levels may not accurately predict the bleeding risk in all hemophilia patients. The entire process of thrombin generation as measured by global hemostasis tests like activated partial thromboplastin time clot waveform analysis (APTT CWA) and thrombin generation test (TGT) may reflect the actual bleeding phenotype.