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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2016 Sep;36(9):1715–1716. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.116.308095

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Mechanisms for the GPIbα-mediated clearance of stored platelets following platelet transfusion. Removal of sialic acid from N-linked glycans by sialidases when refrigerated platelets are rewarmed exposes galactose resides, leading to the clearance of transfused platelets by hepatic asialoiglycoprotein receptors. Removal of both sialic acid and galactose after platelet refrigeration exposes β-N-acetylglucosamine, causing the clearance of transfused platelets by the integrin αMβ2 on hepatic macrophages. Shedding of the GPIbα ectodomain by the metalloproteinase ADAM17 during platelet storage also causes the accelerated clearance of transfused platelets by as a yet unidentified receptor. β-GlcNAc, β-N-acetylglucosamine; Gal, galactose.