title: Serum thrombopoietin levels in relation to disease status in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
abstract: Pre- and post-treatment serum thrombopoietin (TPO) concentration was measured in 35 patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Mean post-treatment levels were significantly lower (P = 0.02) than pretreatment and not different for treatment modality. No significant correlation between pre- or post-treatment TPO and platelet counts was demonstrable (R = -0.325, P = 0.056 and R = -0.227, P = 0.190 respectively). In patients with very low platelet counts (< or =20 x 10(9)/l), pretreatment serum TPO was significantly higher than in patients with higher counts (P = 0.033). The logarithm of the platelet turnover rate, measured in 15 patients, correlated with pretreatment TPO levels (R = 0.64). These findings suggest a contributory role for TPO in the mechanism of ITP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, University Hospital Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. kappers@haed.azr.nl
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kappers-Klunne
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Struijk
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: van Vliet
mesh_terms: D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010976:Platelet Count; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013156:Splenectomy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013926:Thrombopoietin