Amid
emerging concerns that blood platelets donated for transfusion by
individuals with Type 2 diabetes may be unsafe, scientists are
reporting the first detailed identification and analysis of a group of
abnormal proteins in platelets from diabetic donors. The study could
lead to screening tests to detect and monitor these so-called “high
risk platelets,” the researchers say. Their study is scheduled for the
June 5 issue of ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly
publication. About 18 million people in the United States have Type 2
diabetes, and the disease is spreading with the epidemic of obesity.
David Springer and colleagues point out in the new study that thousands
of patients receive potentially lifesaving transfusions of platelets
each year to treat bleeding from trauma and for a wide range of medical
conditions. Scientists have known that abnormal platelets in the blood
of diabetics may predispose these individuals to heart disease. It led
to concern that platelets from these individuals stored for transfusion
may be less effective and even unsafe. However, scientists know little
about how diabetic platelets differ from those of healthy people.
The new
study identified 122 proteins that differed in the platelets of
individuals with diabetes compared to the platelets of non-diabetics.
They also found that freshly collected platelets from diabetics show
almost as many abnormal changes (more than 100) in protein content as
healthy donor platelets stored for up to 5 days. These findings could
lead to new tests for detecting and monitoring abnormal platelets to
improve the outcome of blood transfusions from both diabetic and
healthy individuals, the researchers say.
News release courtesy of American Chemical Society