Engagement of Fibrinogen and β3 Integrin Is Required for Maintenance of Platelet Intracellular and Cell Surface P-Selectin Expression

Platelet P-selectin plays important roles in inflammation and contributes to thrombosis and hemostasis. While it has been reported that von Willebrand factor (VWF) affects P-selectin expression on endothelial cells, little information is available regarding regulation of platelet P-selectin expression. Here, we first observed that P-selectin expression was significantly decreased on platelets of fibrinogen and VWF double deficient mice. Subsequently, we identified this was due to fibrinogen, but not VWF, deficiency. The impaired P-selectin expression on fibrinogen-deficient platelets was further confirmed in a human patient with severe hypofibrinogenemia and his heterozygous parents. We demonstrated that this impairment is unlikely due to excessive P-selectin shedding, deficient fibrinogen-mediated cell surface P-selectin binding, or impaired platelet granule release, but rather is due to decreased platelet P-selectin content. This effect seems to be specific for P-selectin, as other alpha-granule proteins (e.g. thrombospondin-1, vitronectin, platelet factor 4) were not decreased in fibrinogen-deficient mouse or human platelets. We found that fibrinogen transfusion recovered the P-selectin expression in fibrinogen-deficient mice to >80% of the normal level within 48 hours, and four days post-transfusion, the P-selectin levels were nearly completely recovered. Furthermore, engagement of the C-terminus of the fibrinogen γ chain with β3 integrin was required for this process since a similar impairment of P-selectin expression was also observed in fibrinogen γΔ5 mice and β3 integrin-deficient mice. To determine whether fibrinogen affects the biogenesis of platelet alpha-granules, platelets were examined via electron microscopy. No statistically significant difference in the number of platelet alpha-granules was observed in fibrinogen-deficient or β3 integrin-deficient mice compared to controls (P>0.05). These data suggest fibrinogen may play important roles in inflammation, including immune-mediated inflammation, thrombosis and hemostasis via enhancement of platelet P-selectin expression. Furthermore, there are 2–3 fold variations in human plasma fibrinogen levels in healthy populations, and there are patients with hypo- and afibrinogenemia, hyperfibrinogenemia, and Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia (β3 integrin deficiency). Our data suggest that platelet P-selectin expression can be affected by all these conditions. Therefore, P-selectin as a platelet activation marker should be used with caution.