Coagulation
Coagulation laboratory tests
Platelet antibodies
Author: Jeremy C. Parsons, M.D.
Last author update: 1 November 2012
Last staff update: 23 September 2020
Copyright: 2002-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Platelet antibodies [title]
Cite this page: Parsons JC. Platelet antibodies. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/coagulationplateletantibodies.html. Accessed April 2nd, 2025.
Definition / general
- Either autoimmune (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), alloimmune (neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia, post-transfusion purpura, platelet transfusion refractoriness) or heparin-induced
- These tests must be ordered and interpreted cautiously, considering the clinical presentation (Blood 1997;89:1112)
- Platelet antibody disorders:
- Drug-induced thrombocytopenia:
- Detected by a difficult serotonin release assay (add patient plasma / serum plus drug and platelets with radiolabeled serotonin; drug antibodies, if present, stimulate platelets and radioactive serotonin is released)
- Also detected with flow cytometry
- Offending drugs include quinine and quidinine, sulfonamides, sulfonylureas, gold salts, salicylates
- Mechanism is either non-immune (marrow suppression or non-immune destruction) or immune (platelet counts due to immune causes may drop to < 10K, return to normal within 7 days of stopping offending drug)
- Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP):
- Autoantibody against platelets, usually directed against GP IIb / IIIa, less commonly GP Ib / IX
- Diagnosis of exclusion; usually resolves in children but is chronic in adults
- Tests to order include peripheral blood smear, CBC, HIV, thyroid function tests, liver function tests and bone marrow biopsy
- Although not technically contraindicated, platelet transfusions tend to be futile until the offending antibody is removed via some kind of immunosuppression
- Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT):
- Incidence of 1 per 1 - 5K live births
- Father and newborn have antigen that mother lacks, mother produces antibodies to this antigen (usually PI - A1 component of GP IIb / IIIa), which crosses the placenta and destroys fetal platelets
- Newborn platelet counts are < 100K at birth, return to normal within 2 weeks
- Newborn can sometimes develop intracranial hemorrhage due to extremely low platelet count
- If possible, give platelets negative for the antigen the mother lacks; otherwise, treatment of choice is washed maternal platelets
- Platelet refractoriness:
- In thrombocytopenic patients with multiple platelet transfusions, due to formation of HLA - A, HLA - B or less commonly ABO antibodies that destroy transfused platelets
- Platelet crossmatch using immobilized platelets may be performed in referral centers
- Post-transfusion purpura:
- Patient has antibody directed against transfused platelet antigen absent on patients platelets
- For unknown reasons, these antibodies also destroy platelets own antigens
- Typically antigen is PI - A1 component of GP IIb / IIIa or an HLA antigen the patient lacks
- Patients have sudden onset of severe thrombocytopenia 5 - 12 days after transfusion of platelet product, resolves 14 days after transfusion
- In thrombocytopenic phase, common anti-platelet antibodies (GPIIb - IIIa, GPIb - IX and GPIa - IIa) are present, in addition to antibodies to the specific antigen the donor platelets express that precipitated the event
- After resolution of the PTP episode, the general platelet antibodies will disappear, while the donor specific platelet antibodies will persist (Vox Sang 1999;76:120)
- Drug-induced thrombocytopenia:
Laboratory
- Types of tests:
- ELISA: test for specific antiplatelet antibodies; antigen of interest is bound to surface of microtiter plate, then add patient plasma and antibody will bind to antigen
- Antigen capture immunoassay: specific antigens are bound to solid phase, then add patient serum and patient antibodies will bind to antigens
- Platelet antigen typing by antigen capture immunoassays: patients platelet antigens are immobilized by monoclonal antibodies onto a solid phase; then add antibodies of known specificity (Am J Clin Pathol 1990;93:552)
- Flow cytometry: may be used
- Lymphocytotoxicity assay: determine percent reactive antibody (HLA antibodies in patients who are refractory to platelet transfusions)
- Polymerase chain reaction: can be used to identify patients platelet antigens
