Activity of thrombocytes as a marker of sufficient intensity of LDL-apheresis in familial hypercholesterolaemia

Extracorporal elimination is used for selective removal of LDL-cholesterol in severe hypercholesterolaemias. Tests are still going on to find more reliable markers which would sufficiently determine the intensity of the therapy immediately after completion of the procedure, in order to attenuate atherosclerosis activity. According to some literature data such a marker may be platelet aggregability. However, this marker carried out by standard methods has shown to be unreliable. The method was modified (by using various ADP dilutions for aggregation stimulation) and only then changes in aggregation could be observed immediately after completion of the procedure, namely, if there is a rapid drop in cholesterol concentration (of 6 mmol/l or more). Presently, this modification seems to be a suitable marker to determine the intensity of therapy. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.