title: Serum levels of GM-CSF are elevated in patients with thrombocytopenia.
abstract: Serum levels of GM-CSF, IL-3 and IL-6 were measured in patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), non-immune thrombocytopenia (NIT), autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) and neutropenia. 8/10 children with ITP had elevated serum levels of GM-CSF (mean 18.4 pg/ml) while thrombocytopenic, but only two had detectable levels (mean 4.5 pg/ml) after normalization of the platelet count. In patients with NIT a significant inverse correlation between platelet count and serum levels of GM-CSF was observed. IL-3 and IL-6 levels were not significantly elevated in thrombocytopenic patients and only two of the nine patients with either AIHA or neutropenia had detectable levels of GM-CSF. Thus, GM-CSF may play a role in the response of severe thrombocytopenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Abboud
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laver
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weksler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bussel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000097:blood; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000097:blood; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D007377:Interleukin-3; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor