Identifying anti-platelet antibodies in immune thrombocytopenic patients.

Abstract

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura is an autoimmune disease in which platelets are targeted. They are marked as foreign by the immune system and eliminated in the spleen, or sometimes the liver. Presently, the clinician diagnoses a patient with immune thrombocytopenic purpura by taking a bone marrow aspirate and examining megakaryocytes (platelet precursors). This study was made in order to evaluate Immunofluorescence and Monoclonal antibody immobilization of platelet antigen (MAIPA) and introduce them as routine tests in order to benefit the patient, as only a small sample of blood is needed for diagnosis with these methods instead of a bone marrow aspirate used presently. 100 samples were tested with both methods. 20 of them were negative controls. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated according to the results obtained. MAIP A was 92.5% sensitive and 1 00% specific while immunofluorescence turned out to be 90% sensitive and 90% specific. Thus MAIP A would be a better technique to be introduced locally. However, due to important factors such as time, number of samples (low incidence of the disease) and cost, it was not found to be worth to be used as a diagnostic tool in Malta.