The assessment of aspirin resistance by using light transmission and multiple electrode aggregometry

Abstract

The issues related to aspirin [acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)] resistance are still under debate. Depending on the method of assessment and studied patients, the prevalence of ASA resistance is rather heterogeneous, ranging from 5% to 45%. The method most commonly used for assessing platelet function is their aggregation. ASA irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) by acetylation. This study aimed to compare light transmission aggregometry (LTA) and multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) for the measurement of ASA resistance, using arachidonic acid as an inducer of the reaction. The study comprised 101 patients with stable ischemic heart disease taking a daily dose of 100 mg of ASA. The rates of ASA resistance were 22.22% and 21.21% as detected by LTA and MEA, respectively. The two methods were statistically compared using Spearman's nonparametric correlation analysis, with a positive significant correlation (P=0.01) and medium positive dependence between the methods (r=0.0539). If ASA resistance is detected by laboratory tests, replacement of ASA or its combination with other antiplatelet drugs as well as increased dosage may be considered.