Platelets characteristics in patients with coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation

Abstract

The aim. To estimate the connections between platelet morphological characteristics and amino acids (AA) profile in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF).
 Materials and methods. 300 patients were included in the study. They were divided into 3 groups: first (CAD) – 149 patients with CAD but without arrhythmias, second (CAD+AF) – 124 patients with CAD and AF paroxysm and control group – 27 patients without CAD and arrhythmias. Platelets AA level was detected by method of ion exchange liquid column chromatography. Total platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelets distribution width (PDW), platelet-to-leukocyte (PLR) were obtained from common blood count.
 Results. Significant decline of PC and rise of MPV and PLR ratio was found in CAD patients and AF paroxysm in comparison with group with CAD without arrhythmia, p < 0.05. Significant increase of isoleucine, leucine and decrease of threonine, serine, glycine, valine levels was found, changes in branched chain amino acids (rise of Isoleucine + Leucine / Valine ratio) and Glycine + Serine (decline Glycine + Serine sum) metabolism were revealed in CAD patients and AF paroxysm in comparison with group with CAD without arrhythmia, p < 0.05. Phenylalanine / Tyrosine ratio was significantly elevated in CAD patients with and without AF, p < 0.05.
 Taurine, serine, and glycine correlated with platelets morphological characteristics: PC (r = 0.714, r = 0.732 and r = 0.340 consequently), MPV (r = -0.724, r = -0.390 and r = -0.571 consequently), PDW (r = -0.666 and r = -0.364 consequently) and PLR (r = 0.586 and r = 0.648 consequently), p < 0.05. Platelets glycine (AUC = 0.8760), valine (AUC = 0.8707), leucine (AUC = 0.8267) and threonine (AUC = 0.8213) levels are closely connected with AF paroxysm in CAD patients by ROC-analysis results, p < 0.05.
 Platelets amino acids combinations: Glycine + 0.6 × Valine (AUC = 0.9987), Threonine – 3.6 × Leucine (AUC = 0.9040) were found in prediction AF paroxysm for CAD patients by ROC-analysis results, p < 0.05.
 Conclusions. Connections between platelets morphology and AA profile violations in patients with CAD and AF paroxysm were found in our study.