Platelet activation indices and apolipoproteins in hypertensive patients

We have studied the platelet activation indices beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG and platelet factor 4(PF4), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and apolipoprotein (A1, A2, B, C2, C3, E) profiles of 22 untreated essential hypertensive subjects (WHO stages 1 and 2) and 22 controls, to see if there might be some causal relationship between lipoprotein abnormalities and greater platelet activation. The results showed the patients had both greater platelet activation than the controls, as demonstrated by higher plasma beta-TG levels (P less than 0.01) and lower apolipoprotein A2 levels (P less than 0.05). However there were no significant correlations between the platelet activation indices and the plasma levels of apolipoproteins, lipoproteins or lipids in either group.