PLATELET PROTEINS AS AUTOANTIBODY TARGETS IN IDIOPATHIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), caused by autoantibodies di rected against certain platelet antigens, is the most common entity of the immune thrombocytopenias. ITP is an acquired disorder and can aff ect both children and adults. However, the clinical syndromes of ITP a re distinct between children and adults. Childhood (acute) ITP charact eristically is acute in onset, occurs within 1-2 weeks of an infection , usually of viral origin, resolves spontaneously within 6 months. Adu lt (chronic) ITP has an insidious onset and rarely resolves spontaneou sly. Over the last decade considerable new information has accumulated as to the pathophysiological mechanisms of immune thrombocytopenias. In addition, most of the knowledge on this disorder has been obtained from studies of adult patients with chronic ITP. The present work give s an updated overview of the platelet autoantigens and the molecular i mmunological reactions in ITP.