Platelet Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 in Patients With Type II Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To compare platelet plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) concentration in type 11 diabetic patients and healthy control subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied a group of 12 diabetic patients whose disease was controlled by diet or sulfonylurea therapy and a group of 17 nondiabetic control subjects. All subjects were free of clinically advanced vascular disease. PAI-1 antigen concentrations were measured in 5 × 10 8 isolated platelets, which were lysed by 1% Triton X-100. RESULTS Mean platelet PAI-1 was significantly higher in diabetic patients (264 ± 83 ng/5 × 10 8 platelets) compared with control subjects (202 ±71 ng/5 × 10 8 platelets) ( P r = 0.63, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that 1 ) a higher platelet PAI-1 concentration may contribute to enhanced thrombosis in type II diabetes and 2 ) megakaryo-cyte PAI-1 synthesis may be under the control of insulin.