Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for antiplatelet therapy effectiveness assessment

Platelet activation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications in patients with coronary and cerebrovascular ischemic disease. The most important task in the treatment and prevention such complications is the complete suppression of platelet activity. Inhibition of platelet aggregation is currently a key therapeutic approach in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular atherosclerotic origin. The development of new and more effective methods for prediction of the response of patients to antiplatelet therapy and its subsequent correction appears to be the most important task of modern physics, biophysics, and medicine. Platelets obtained from patient specimens have been investigated by Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with the diode-pumped solid-state laser (lambda = 532 nm) on Au/Ti rough surfaces. As a result, a set of optimal experimental parameters for platelets discrimination have been determined. Platelet spectral data for healthy volunteers, healthy volunteers on antiplatelet therapy and individuals with cardiovascular pathology on antiplatelet therapy have been analyzed. We suggest that the obtained results allow the usage of the SERS as a diagnostic tool for determination of both inhibition of platelet aggregation and its structure conformation.