STUDIES USING IMMOBILIZED PLATELET GLYCOPROTEINS FOR DETECTION OF PLATELET ALLOANTIBODIES

The utility of an enzyme linked immunoassay for the detection of plate let alloantibodies to isolated platelet glycoproteins employing commer cially available monoclonal antibodies was studied. The authors establ ished the usefulness of the assay for antibodies to platelet alloantig ens (APAA) by testing its sensitivity and specificity under different conditions and using a variety of alloantibodies from patients with im mune mediated thrombocytopenia. The authors were able to specifically de tect a variety of antibodies to platelet alloantigens on different platelet glycoproteins, These antibodies had specificity for HPA-1a (P IAl), HPA-3 (Bak) and HPA-5 (Br). These results show that the APAA is easily adaptable for routine diagnostic testing in hospital laboratori es using commercially available monoclonal antibodies and for the diag nosis of alloimmune mediated thrombocytopenic conditions.