Diagnosing Immune Thrombocytopenia

AbstractAlthough the detection of a characteristic autoantibody can prove immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), this diagnosis is often based on the exclusion of other causes of thrombocytopenia. Direct glycoprotein (GP)-specific tests have the property required to demonstrate such a characteristic autoantibody. In contrast, platelet-associated immunoglobulin G or antibody detection in plasma or serum is an insufficient diagnostic test. Moreover, data for commercial capture assays are sparse and their use is currently not recommended. A significant drawback of direct GP-specific tests is their low sensitivity, and a ne…