The Serological Investigation of Patients with Autoimmune Thrombocytopenia

Techniques for measuring the plasma factor responsible for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) have been sought for some 40 years, but unlike red cell serological techniques, platelet antibody testing has proved difficult and, at times, generated controversial results. The difficulty in measuring platelet antibodies probably reflects the intrinsic nature of the platelet membrane--to act as a sponge and nonspecifically bind plasma …