11-Dehydrothromboxane B2 (11-DH-TXB2)

11-Dehydrothromboxane B2 is produced from the breakdown of thromboxane A2. It is released by activated platelets and urine levels of 11-dehydro-TXB2 can be used to monitor the response to aspirin therapy when used to prevent heart disease and in diseases where platelet activation is prominent. In human plasma, 11-dehydrothromboxane (TX) B2 is a major long lived metabolite (t1/2 45 min) formed from infused TXB2, the hydration product of biologically active TXA2.

TXB2 is readily confounded by platelet activation ex vivo. Measurement of enzymatic metabolites of TXB2 minimizes this problem. The 11-dehydro metabolite is the most appropriate analytic target to detect phasic release of TXA2 in the human circulation, such as might occur in human syndromes of platelet activation.