Polymorphisms of Platelet Adhesive Receptors: Do They Play a Role in Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage?

BACKGROUND: Several reports suggested that polymorphisms affecting the structure or level of the main adhesive platelet glycoproteins (GPs) could behave as genetic risk factors for arterial thrombotic disorders. However, very few reports analyzed the significance of these polymorphisms in bleeding disorders. Interestingly, one study suggested a role of the 807 C/T polymorphism of the collagen receptor GP Ia in the severity of the bleeding manifestations in von Willebrand disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of frequent polymorphisms affecting platelet GPs in primary intracerebral hemorrhage (PIH), the third most frequent cause of cerebrovascular disorder. METHODS: We evaluated the role of four putative prothrombotic polymorphisms: GP Ia [807 C/T, and human platelet alloantigen system 5 (HPA-5)], GP Ibalpha (variable number of tandem repeats), and GP IIIa (HPA-1) in 141 Caucasian patients diagnosed of PIH, 141 race-, age-, sex- and risk factor-matched controls, and 446 subjects from the general population. RESULTS: The frequency of genotypes and alleles were similar between patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that these polymorphisms play a minor role in PIH.