Abstract
Objective: Coated-platelets are procoagulant platelets that are elevated in patients with large-vessel ischemic stroke and are associated with stroke recurrence. Because of recent reports showing an increased risk for stroke following traumatic brain injury (TBI), we undertook a pilot study to investigate coated-platelet synthesis in veterans with TBI.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Participants: Forty patients with a diagnosis of mild TBI (mTBI) and 40 controls without a history of TBI and matched for age, gender, and ethnicity/race were enrolled in the study.
Main Measure: Coated-platelet levels were determined in patients with mTBI and controls. The time period since most recent injury ranged from 6 months to 9 years.
Results: Coated-platelet levels were significantly higher for mTBI patients than for controls (mean +/- SD = 52.0% +/- 14.0% vs 35.4% +/- 13.0%; P < .0001). No relationship between these levels and the length of time since the last injury was found (P = .5).
Conclusions: Coated-platelet levels are markedly and persistently elevated in individuals with mTBI. These data suggest a link to previous findings of increased stroke risk and chronic inflammation among individuals who sustained a TBI.