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Immune thrombocytopenia
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Immune thrombocytopenia, which many people know as ITP, happens when the body makes autoantibodies, antibodies that instead of attacking germs latch onto something of your own. Here they latch onto the platelets circulating in the blood, the cells that plug the leaks when you cut yourself. The result is a low platelet count, purpura, meaning purple patches on the skin, and bleeding. There is no single test that confirms it outright: the diagnosis is usually made by ruling out the known causes of a low platelet count.
The autoantibodies stick to proteins in the platelet membrane, that is, on its surface. Once the platelets are tagged, the spleen clears them early: macrophages, cells that eat up cellular debris, pull them out of circulation faster than normal, and the platelets have a shorter life.
Some people have no symptoms at all. When they do, the most common is bleeding from the skin and mucous membranes, ranging from petechiae, which are tiny red dots, and nosebleeds all the way to serious bleeding in the digestive tract or the brain.
In brief
Immune thrombocytopenia develops when IgG autoantibodies sensitize platelets, causing a low platelet count, purpura and bleeding; it is usually diagnosed by ruling out the known causes.
The autoantibodies target proteins on the platelet membrane, and macrophages in the spleen clear these coated platelets faster than normal, shortening their lifespan.
Once they are tagged, the spleen clears them early.
Some people have no symptoms; the most common finding is mucocutaneous bleeding, from petechiae and nosebleeds to severe gastrointestinal or intracranial hemorrhage.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingImmune Thrombocytopenia, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated