A Case of Thrombasthenia with a Study of Platelet Aggregation by Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)

A six-year-old girl with a congenital hemorrhagic disorder characteristic of thrombasthenia or Glanzmann's disease was reported. A special study on platelet aggregation was performed. It was found that patient's platelets failed to aggregate in response to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), while normal platelets were readily aggregated by this agent. This H2O2 induced aggregation of normal platelets can be inhibited by adenosine, suggesting a possible mechanism that H2O2 might stimulate platelets to release ADP, which in turn causes platelet aggregation.