Platelet degranulation and bleeding phenotype in a large cohort of Von Willebrand disease patients.
Maurice SwinkelsFerdows AtiqPetra E BürgisserIris van MoortKarina MeijerJeroen EikenboomKarin FijnvandraatKarin P M van GalenJoke de MerisSaskia E M ScholsJohanna G van der BomMarjon H CnossenJan VoorbergFrank W G LeebeekRuben BieringsArend Jan Gerard Jansennull nullPublished in: British journal of haematology (2022)
Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a bleeding disorder caused by quantitative (type 1 or 3) or qualitative (type 2A/2B/2M/2N) defects of circulating von Willebrand factor (VWF). Circulating VWF levels not always fully explain bleeding phenotypes, suggesting a role for alternative factors, like platelets. Here, we investigated platelet factor 4 (PF4) in a large cohort of patients with VWD. PF4 levels were lower in type 2B and current bleeding phenotype was significantly associated with higher PF4 levels, particularly in type 1 VWD. Based on our findings we speculate that platelet degranulation and cargo release may play a role across VWD subtypes.