title: [Pathogenic relevance of platelet-associated autoantibodies in chronic ITP--studies before and after splenectomy in three patients with chronic ITP by direct immunoprecipitation procedure].
abstract: This study was designed to investigate the pathogenic relevance of platelet-associated autoantibodies in chronic ITP, since the titer of platelet-associated autoantibodies does not appear to correlate with the severity of the disease. Employing a direct immunoprecipitation procedure, we examined platelets from three ITP patients with platelet-associated autoantibodies against GPIIb-IIIa and an unidentified 56 kD protein before and after splenectomy. In two patients, platelet-associated autoantibodies disappeared after splenectomy, and these two patients attained complete remission. In one patient, however, the amount of platelet-associated autoantibodies did not decrease after splenectomy. Although this patient's platelet count transiently increased to 500 x 10(3)/microliters after splenectomy, it decreased to 55 x 10(3)/microliters within a short time. These findings suggest that platelet-associated autoantibodies play a key role in platelet destruction in chronic ITP.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka University Medical School.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Take
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kosugi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kashiwagi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanayama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuzawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000276:immunology*; D013156:Splenectomy
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies