Prospective Analysis after Coronary-artery Bypass Grafting: Platelet GP IIIa Polymorphism (HPA-1b/Pl ) Is a Risk Factor for Bypass Occlusion, Myocardial Infarction, and Death

Summary Recently, we have demonstrated that human platelet antigen 1b (HPA-1b or Pl A2 ) is a hereditary risk factor for platelet thrombogenicity leading to premature myocardial infarction in preexisting coronary artery disease. However, HPA-1b does not represent a risk factor for coronary artery disease itself. The aim of our present study was to evaluate the role of HPA-1b on the outcome in patients after coronaryartery bypass surgery. We prospectively determined the HPA-1 genotype in 261 consecutive patients prior to saphenous-vein coronaryartery bypass grafting. The patients were followed for one year. Among patients with bypass occlusion, myocardial infarction, or death more than 30 days after surgery, the prevalence of HPA-1b was significantly higher than among patients without postoperative complications (60 percent, 6/10, vs. 24 percent, 58/241, p