THE ROLE OF THROMBOPOIETIN IN THROMBOCYTOPENIA DUE TO AETIOLOGIES

Abstract

Thrombopoietin, the primary regulator of platelet production has been recently cloned and identified. It is encoded by a single gene located on chromosome 3q 27-28. It is produced in liver, kidney, spleen and bone marrow stroma.

In our study sixty patients with thrombocytopenia and twenty control subjects were included, they were classified as follows:

Group I: twenty patients with bone marrow aplasia.

Group II: twenty patients with liver cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia.

Group Ill: twenty thrombocytopenic purpura.

patients with idiopathic

Group IV: twenty healthy control subjects.

• All patients were subjected to clinical examination and laboratory investigations such as complete blood picture, ESR and liver functions.

Serum TPO level was measured by ELISA technique in sera of the subjects. Results obtained were as follows, TPO level was highest in aplastic anemia patients, patients with idiopathic thromb nic purpura had TPO mildly elevated than normal, with patients' while liver cirrhosis had slightly lower TPO level than control.