Platelets with 10% of the normal amount of glycoprotein VI have an impaired response to collagen that results in a mild bleeding tendency

Platelet glycoprotein VI (GPVI), a 62kD membrane protein, has been identified as one of the platelet receptors for collagen, since GPVI-deficient platelets exhibit abnormal responses to collagen and an abnormal bleeding tendency. We report a female patient with a mild bleeding history whose platelets expressed 10% GPVI of normal platelets. Shape change, aggregation and ATP release of the patient's platelets were completely absent in response to 1-5 micrograms/ml collagen but present normally in response to ADP and Ca2+ ionophore A23187. Adhesion of the patient's platelets to coated collagen was mildly affected (40-60% of normal platelets) in spite of only 10% expression of GPVI. Flow cytometrical studies revealed that the patient's platelets expressed normal amounts of the GPIa/IIa complex. These results suggest that platelet GPVI is less involved in adhesion to collagen than shape change and aggregation induced by collagen.