Cellular immune mechanisms in autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura: An update

Coopamah, Malini D.; Garvey, M. Bernadette; Freedman, John; Semple, John W.

doi:10.1053/tmrv.2003.50004

« Previous Next »Transfusion Medicine Reviews
Volume 17, Issue 1 , Pages 69-80, January 2003

Cellular immune mechanisms in autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura: An update

Malini D. Coopamah
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services, Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Toronto Platelet Immunobiology Group, Toronto, Ontario Canada
M. Bernadette Garvey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services, Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Toronto Platelet Immunobiology Group, Toronto, Ontario Canada
John Freedman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services, Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Toronto Platelet Immunobiology Group, Toronto, Ontario Canada
John W. Semple
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Canadian Blood Services, Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Toronto Platelet Immunobiology Group, Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Address reprint requests to John W. Semple, PhD, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5B 1W8.

Autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (AITP) is a bleeding disorder in which autoantibodies are directed against an individual's own platelets, leading to enhanced clearance through Fc receptor (R)-mediated phagocytosis by macrophages residing in the reticuloendothelial system (RES), particularly in the spleen. The production of IgG autoantibodies is critically dependent on cellular immune mechanisms particularly relating to T cells. We review the recent literature of the cell-mediated immunology of AITP focusing on platelet phenotype, genetics, T-cell reactivities, and cytokine profiles in patients with AITP. Understanding the interaction between these cell-mediated mechanisms is vital for developing antigen specific immunotherapies to treat this autoimmune disease.

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