Plasma thrombospondin in immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
Patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) rarely suffer life-threatening haemorrhages despite significant thrombocytopenia, probably because large numbers of hyperfunctioning platelets are present. Thrombospondin is a platelet alpha-granule protein and its plasma level may reflect platelet activation. We assessed circulating thrombospondin levels in 12 newly diagnosed ITP patients (one man; 11 women, aged 36 +/- 16 years) before they were treated for ITP. Twelve healthy people (four men; eight women, aged 31 +/- 11 years) acted as controls. Plasma thrombospondin concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunoassays. Thrombospondin concentrations tended to be higher, despite thrombocytopenia, in ITP patients (158.8 +/- 28.2 ng/ml) compared with controls (120.7 +/- 18.2 ng/ml). The difference was not statistically significant, but the relatively high circulating thrombospondin concentrations we observed suggest that residual platelets could be activated in ITP, thus indicating a more benign clinical course compared with aplastic thrombocytopenia.
Ozcebe
O I
OI
Department of Haematology, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. oiozcebe@hacettepe.edu.tr
Karakuş
S
S
Haznedaroğlu
I C
IC
Göker
H
H
Kosar
A
A
Koçoğlu
H
H
Büyükaşik
Y
Y
Sayinalp
N
N
Kirazli
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015539:Platelet Activation; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000097:blood*; D019699:Thrombospondins / Q000097:blood*
D019699:Thrombospondins