Selective targeting of procoagulant platelets

A process for identifying and determining the proportion of procoagulant and apoptotic platelets in a platelet-containing whole blood sample, wherein platelets in the whole blood sample have not been isolated or enriched, the process comprising:

• contacting a platelet with an agonist comprising thrombin;
• contacting the platelet with a compound of the structural formula
• wherein R7 to R10 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C5 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl, halogen, hydroxy, amino, nitro, carboxy, C1-C5 alkoxy, —OS(O)2R3 and —NHC(O)CH2Q wherein Q is halogen, —OS(O)2CH3, —OS(O)2C6H5 and —OS(O)2-p tolyl;
• and wherein, when any one of R7 to R10 is C1-C5 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl, C1-C5 alkoxy, —OS(O)2R3 it is capable of forming a fused ring with the phenylene;
• and further wherein, at least one of R7 to R10 is C1-C5 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl, C1-C5 alkoxy, or —OS(O)2R3, in combination with at least any one other of R7 to R10, is capable of forming a fused ring with the phenylene,
• determining whether the platelet is labelled by the compound, and
• determining whether the platelet is positive or negative for P-selectin expression,
• wherein a platelet which is labelled by the compound and is positive for P-selectin expression is identified as a procoagulant platelet, and a platelet which binds to the compound and is negative for P-selectin expression is identified as an apoptotic platelet,
• further comprising determining the proportion of procoagulant or apoptotic platelets in the sample.