The platelet glycoprotein IIIa polymorphism is associated to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Type 2 diabetic women present a fivefold higher risk of coronary heart disease compared to non-diabetic women. The aim of this study was to verify the frequency of the glycoprotein IIIa polymorphism (PlA2) in type 2 diabetic women and compare this result with the frequency reported for the general population. The PlA polymorphisms of 62 type 2 diabetic women were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The resulting frequencies were 81% for PlA1A1, 18% for PlA1A2 and 1% for PlA2A2. There was no significant difference between observed frequencies and the frequencies described in the literature. Our results suggest that the frequency of the glycoprotein IIIa polymorphism, PlA2, in type 2 diabetic women is similar to that observed in general population
Platelets; glycoprotein IIIa; polymorphism; Type 2 diabetes; women
