title: Plasma thrombospondin in immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. oiozcebe@hacettepe.edu.tr
authors.forename: O I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Ozcebe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karakuş
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Haznedaroğlu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Göker
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kosar
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koçoğlu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Büyükaşik
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sayinalp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirazli
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D019699:Thrombospondins