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Gender differences in platelet aggregation in healthy individuals

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Abstract

This study evaluated gender variability in platelet aggregation in response to common agonists. Platelet aggregation was measured in 36 healthy men and women free of any antiplatelet medication, aged 22–36 years, of Caucasian (White not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic, and African-American not of Hispanic origin. In this ex-vivo study, we investigated platelet aggregation in response to adenosine-5′-diphosphate (ADP), epinephrine (EPI), arachidonic acid (AA) and collagen (COL), using a platelet ionized calcium aggregometer (Chrono-Log Co.). Platelet aggregation response to all tested agonists was higher in females than in males regardless of ethnicity. The most significant differences were observed with collagen (P < 0.01). Among the ethnic groups, Caucasian women were most prone to platelet aggregation. Gender is a determinant of agonist effects on platelet aggregability in healthy subjects.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a Clinical Grant from the Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to Dr. C. Roongsritong and Analytical Grant from the Department of Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to Dr. J. Simoni. We also would like to thank to Dr. Kenneth Nugent for his assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Cihan Cevik.

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Otahbachi, M., Simoni, J., Simoni, G. et al. Gender differences in platelet aggregation in healthy individuals. J Thromb Thrombolysis 30, 184–191 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-009-0436-x

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