Table 1.
Platelet abnormalities linked to neurodegenerative conditions.
| Condition | Implication of platelets | Species/model | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's disease | Increased platelet activation | Human | (35) |
| Increased platelet β-secretase activity | Human | (36, 37) | |
| Platelet hyperactivity | APP23 mice | (38) | |
| Increased adhesion to subendothelial matrix components | 3xTg-AD mice | (39) | |
| Platelet inclusions in cerebral blood vessels | APP_SweDI mice | (40) | |
| Platelets enhance formation of amyloid-β aggregates in cerebral vessels | APP23 mice | (41) | |
| Platelets promote neuroinflammation and vessel damage | APP_SweDI mice | (42) | |
| APP and amyloid-β influence platelet function | Human/APP-KO, C57BL/6 and APP23 mice | (41, 43–51) | |
| Huntington's disease | Increased platelet mHtt protein levels | Human | (52) |
| Increased platelet aspartate and glycine levels | Human | (53, 54) | |
| Platelets promote blood brain barrier permeability | Human | (52) | |
| Impaired platelet adenosine A receptor signaling | Human | (55, 56) | |
| Impaired platelet nitric oxide metabolism | Human | (57) | |
| Elevated platelet mitochondrial monoamine oxidase activity | Human | (58, 59) | |
| Parkinson's disease | Increased mean platelet volume | Human | (60) |
| Decreased platelet glutamate uptake | Human | (27) | |
| Reduction in vesicular monoamine transporter 2 mRNA | Human | (61) | |
| Platelet mitochondrial dysfunction | Human/ Cybrid model | (62–66) | |
| Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | Increased platelet TDP-43 levels | Human | (67) |
| Reduced complex IV activity in platelet mitochondria | Human | (68) | |
| Altered platelet mitochondrial membrane potential | Human | (69) | |
| Altered platelet mitochondrial morphology | Human | (70) | |
| Altered platelet activation and morphology | Human | (70) | |
| Enlarged mitochondria, degenerating mitochondrial vacuoles and neurofilament aggregations | Cybrid model | (71–73) | |
| Decreased platelet serotonin levels | Human | (74) | |
| Multiple sclerosis | Increased platelet activation | Human | (75) |
| Platelets drive neuroinflammation in the spinal cord | EAE mice | (76, 77) | |
| Platelet-neuron associations are associated with neuroinflammation in the hippocampus | EAE mice | (14) | |
| Altered serotonin release from dense granules | Human/EAE mice | (78) | |
| Prion diseases | Platelets carry infectious prions | Deer | (79) |
| Platelets are capable of transmitting disease phenotypes | Deer and sheep | (79, 80) |
AD, Alzheimer's disease; APP, amyloid precursor protein; EAE, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, mHtt, mutant huntingtin protein; TDP-43, TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa.