A STUDY OF 8-LYMPHOCYTE IMMUNE PHENOTYPE IN CHILDHOOD IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA

Abstract

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura is one of the most common acquired bleeding disorders encountered by pediatricians (Medeiros and Buchanan, 1996).

An increase in immature B-cell precursors has been described in bone marrow of children with non malignant haemotologic diseases such as agranulo­ cytosis or transient erythroblastopenia. Furthermore increased number of B-cell expression the pan T-cell marker CD5 In peripheral blood and spleen lymphocytes in immune thrombocytopenic purpura patients has been found to be involved in autoantibody production (lyori et al., 1995 and Callea et al., 1997).

Recently De Mattia et al. (1998) in a study of childhood immune thrombocytopenic purpura observed the presence of low number of B-lymphocyte precursors in the bone 1narrow of immune thrombocytopenic purpura patients especially the chronic type. Whether this immunological pattern could be a predictive index of chronicity in childhood immune thrombocytopenic purpura needs further studies.