Platelet adhesion to vascular subendothelium under conditions of high shear stress is mediated by the platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ib-von Willebrand Factor (vWF) interaction. The aim of this study was to characterize the murine monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) 27A10 and 28E6, both raised against purified GPIb. The MoAb 27A10 is a potent inhibitor of shear-induced platelet adhesion to collagen type I in a flow chamber at shear rates of 1,300 and 2,700 s(-1). 20 microg/ml of MoAb 27A10, furthermore, could completely block shear-induced aggregation in a modified Couette viscometer at shear rates of 1,000 and 4,000 s(-1). On the other hand, MoAb 27A10 had a negligible effect on botrocetin-induced GPIb-vWF binding and is only a poor inhibitor of the ristocetin-dependent interaction. In contrast, MoAb 28E6 did abolish both the ristocetin- and botrocetin-induced GPIb-vWF binding, whereas it did not block the shear-induced interaction. Thus, we identify here two anti-GPIb MoAbs 27A10 and 28E6 that either preferentially inhibit the shear-induced or the ristocetin/botrocetin-induced platelet-vWF interaction. With these tools it should be possible to more clearly define the mechanisms by which platelets bind to vWF in vivo.
Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel