Platelet-collagen interactions: increase in rate of adhesion of fixed washed platelets by factor VIII-related antigen

A simple technique using an aggregometer and fixed washed human platelets (FWP) and fibrillar collagen has been used to evaluate the contribution of the two components of the factor VIII (FVIII) complex to platelet-collagen interactions. FWP bound individually to collagen fibrils in suspension, and both the total number of FWP bound and the rate of adhesion increased with increasing collagen concentration. Von Willebrand's disease (vWD) type I or normal plasma immunoadsorbed with anti-factor VIII-related antigen (anti-FVIIIR:Ag) antiserum gave 20% and vWD type IIa gave 50% of the rate of adhesion obtained with normal, hemophilia A, or hemophilia A with inhibitor plasma, but the same percent adhesion was found with all plasmas. The rate of adhesion of both vWD type I and type IIa was corrected by the addition of purified FVIII complex. These results indicated that the FVIIIR:Ag and not the factor VIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C) in normal plasma or purified FVIII complex caused an accelerating effect on the rate at which FWP bound to collagen. Collagen fibrils not only bound FWP, but also adsorbed the FVIII complex with preferential adsorption of the forms of FVIIIR:Ag with the greatest ristocetin cofactor (FVIIIR:RCoF) activity. Saturation of collagen with FWP did not change the adsorption pattern of the FVIII complex. Also anti-FVIIIR:Ag blocked the accelerating effect of the FVIII complex but not the adhesion of FWP. Thus, FWP and FVIIIR:Ag appeared to bind to separate sites on collagen.