Glycocalicin (GC) is the soluble portion of platelet
membrane protein GP1b, and may be cleaved from the platelet surface during platelet activation. Previous study has indicated that plasma
glycocalicin/platelet (GC/plt) levels are elevated in patients presenting with
acute stroke. The present study was undertaken to determine the GC/plt levels in patients being treated for transient ischaemic episodes, to assess whether the elevated GC/plt level in
acute stroke is due to a detectable, constitutive premorbid state of platelet activation. In sixteen consecutive patients attending a
vascular surgery clinic, GC levels were measured on a citrated plasma sample, and corrected for circulating platelet count. Since 15 of 16 patients were taking
aspirin when seen at clinic, a control study was undertaken to assess the effect of
aspirin on sequential plasma GC/plt levels measured over 10 days--5 pre and post daily
aspirin for 5 days, 4 acting as non-aspirinated controls. Plasma GC/plt levels in normal plasma were 21.6 +/- 8.0 fg; mean +/- SD. In the 16 patients the GC/plt levels were 13.1 fg/plt; SD 5.4, range 2.9-24.3. All platelet counts were in the normal range in all patients involved. While a masking effect due to
aspirin cannot be completely ruled out, these studies indicate that plasma GC/plt level is not useful as a predictor of
acute stroke in the premorbid population.