Glycoprotein analysis for the diagnostic evaluation of platelet disorders.

Platelet glycoproteins subserve a wide variety of critical functions in blood platelets. Congenital deficiencies or functional abnormalities in platelet glycoproteins may produce serious bleeding disorders such as Glanzmann thrombasthenia or Bernard-Soulier syndrome. Other hematologic disorders, such as Fanconi anemia and various myelodysplastic syndromes, may also be associated with abnormalities in platelet glycoproteins. Additionally, several acquired disorders involving the major platelet glycoproteins are increasingly being recognized. The large number of techniques, now available to characterize platelet glycoprotein disorders, reflect the many advances in biochemistry, molecular analysis, flow cytometry, and, most recently, proteomics. The application of platelet glycoprotein analysis to a wide range of clinical disorders is reviewed in this article.