Platelet Function Tests: A Review of Progresses in Clinical Application

Table 1

Major platelet function tests and their clinical applications.

Name of test	Principle	Clinical applications
Platelet aggregometry	Platelet aggregation to a panel of agonists	Diagnosis of inherited and acquired platelet defects
PFA-100/200	High shear platelet adhesion and aggregation	Detection of inherited and acquired platelet defects, monitoring antiplatelet drugs
Flow cytometry	Measurement of platelet GP, secretion, MP, and activation markers by fluorescence	Diagnosis of platelet GP defects, platelet release, PMP, platelet activation markers, monitoring antiplatelet drugs
Impact	Measurement of platelet adhesion and aggregation under high shear	Detection of inherited and acquired platelet defects, monitoring antiplatelet drugs
Thrombelastography (TEG/ROTEM)	Monitoring rate and quality of clot formation	Prediction of surgical bleeding, aid to blood product usage, monitoring antiplatelet drugs
VerifyNow	Platelet aggregation	Monitoring antiplatelet drugs
Multiplate	Platelet aggregation	Monitoring antiplatelet drugs
VASP-P	Flow cytometry with phosphoprotein-phosphorylation	Monitoring P2Y12 receptor activity
Microparticles	Flow cytometry with calibrated beads	Platelet activation markers, intercellular communication

PFA: platelet function analyzer; GP: glycoprotein; MP: microparticles; PMP: platelet-derived microparticles; TEG: thrombelastography; ROTEM: rotational thrombelastometry; VASP-P: phosphorylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein-phosphorylation.