Antibodies made in the spleen that are directed against the cell surface antigens GpIIb/IIIa or GpIb/IX are characteristically seen in individuals with
A. Cold autoimmune hemolytic anemiaB. Felty’s syndrome
C. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
D. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura
The
answer is d. Idiopathic (immune) thrombocytopenic purpura
(ITP) is a major cause of increased peripheral destruction of platelets.
Clinically, ITP may be divided into an acute form and a chronic form. The acute
form is more commonly seen in children following a viral infection, while the
chronic form is more often seen in adult women of childbearing years. Most
individuals with ITP are asymptomatic, but if the platelet count drops low
enough, they may develop petechial hemorrhages or epistaxis, usually after an
upper respiratory infection. Both clinical types of ITP are associated with the
development of antiplatelet antibodies, mainly against the platelet antigens
GpIIb/IIIa and GpIb/IX.
