Characterization of the platelet membrane glycoprotein abnormalities in Bernard-Soulier syndrome and comparison with normal by surface-labeling techniques and high-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

The platelets from three patients with Bernard-Soulier syndrome have been analyzed by surface-labeling coupled with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and compared with normals. As well as the previously described absence or deficiency in glycoprotein (GP) Ib(alpha) it could be shown that GP Ib beta and an additional low molecular weight glycoprotein GP17 were not detectable using carbohydrate-labeling methods or deficient to the same extent as the GPIb alpha subunit. In addition, the thrombin cleavable glycoprotein could not be detected using carbohydrate-labeling methods in two patients and was deficient in a third. This finding was confirmed in a fourth patient by one-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Thus, the changes in the membrane of Bernard-Soulier platelets are more complex than previously thought.