| Abstract: | ![]()
We previously described an ELISA to measure the inhibition of platelet glycoprotein llb/IIIa (GPIIb/IIIa) binding to fibrinogen due to immune complexes and/or anti-platelet antibodies from patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) or HIV-related ITP. Circulating immune complexes (CIC) were the main factor in the inhibition of GPIIb/IIIa binding to fibrinogen in HIV-related ITP, whereas in non-HIV ITP, inhibition was only partially due to CIC; anti-platelet antibodies specific to GPIIIa were also shown to play a role. In this study, we correlated the rise in the platelet count after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusion with the decrease in inhibition of fibrinogen binding to GPIIb/IIIa by the sera of patients with ITP and HIV-related ITP. In the majority of the patients' sera tested, as the platelet count increased following the administration of IVIG, the degree of inhibition of GPIIb/IIIa binding to fibrinogen decreased. We also observed a decrease and/or disappearance of the antibodies specific to GPIIb and/or GPIIIa after IVIG administration. In HIV-seronegative ITP patients, the decrease or disappearance of anti-platelet antibodies directly correlated with the decreased inhibition of GPIIb/IIIa binding to fibrinogen by the 2% PEG supernatants of sera which contained anti-platelet antibodies. These findings suggest that IVIG directly affects the binding of CIC and anti-platelet antibodies to platelets and thereby improves platelet survival. Our results also suggest that the anti-idiotypic effect may contribute to IVIG's therapeutic action. In contrast, in the HIV-seropositive group, the decreased inhibition by PEG precipitates after IVIG administration was more strongly associated with an increase in the platelet count. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
