THE ASSOCIATION OF RETICULATED THROMBOCYTE COUNT WITH TREATMENT RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA

Abstract

Objective: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) causes thrombocytopenia via the premature destruction of autoantibody covered thrombocytes. It is diagnosed by exclusion of other diseases which cause thrombocytopenia. Reticulothrom-bocytes (RT) are young thrombocytes containing messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA). Measurement of RT with flow cytometry is reported to reflect thrombopoetic activity in thrombocytopenic patients.