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Autoimmune Thrombocytopenia, Page 1 of 2
< Previous page Next page > /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555815905/9781555813642_Chap128-1.gif /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555815905/9781555813642_Chap128-2.gifAbstract:
A chronic form of autoimmune thrombocytopenia exists and is the clinical course most often seen in adults. With characterization of the immunopathological features of autoimmune thrombocytopenia, a variety of methods have been developed to measure the antiplatelet autoantibodies that mediate the immune destruction of platelets in this disorder. The risk of chronicity increases with increased age of the child; otherwise, there are no prognostic features, either clinical or laboratory, that will predict whether a child with acute immune thrombocytopenia will recover spontaneously. The pathogenic factor present in the plasma reacted with normal and autologous platelets and could be isolated and removed from the gamma fraction of plasma by adsorption with platelets. Patients with chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenia typically present with petechiae and mucosa bleeding. Symptoms may be present for months, or some patients may experience more acute manifestations. Quantitative measurements based on antiglobulin consumption give falsely high values for platelet-associated immunoglobulin because antiglobulin binds differently to membrane-bound immunoglobulin G (IgG) than to the IgG in the solution used to calibrate the standard curve.