Ristocetin

Monosulfate

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Ristocetin (or Ristomycin ) is an antibiotic which is produced by the bacterium lurida Amycolatopsis. Earlier it was used by staphylococcal infections. Nowadays, it is no longer used because of its toxicity.

Ristocetin causes platelet agglutination in the presence of von Willebrand factor, so it is with tests that determine the presence or absence of this clotting factor used. This is important for the diagnosis of von Willebrand 's disease, or the Bernard -Soulier syndrome. Patients with von Willebrand's syndrome have a deficiency of the von Willebrand factor, hence it is in the above tests to no or only slight agglutination. When Bernard- Soulier syndrome is an absence of binding sites points to the platelets for von Willebrand factor. This results in impaired adhesion of platelets to subendothelial structures.