A 56 year old woman with rheumatoid arthritis developed relapsing thrombocytopenia during successive treatments with aurothioglucose, sulphasalazine, and hydroxychloroquine. The presence of IgM or IgG antibodies or immune complexes reactive with autologous platelets could not be shown. Relapsing thrombocytopenia may indicate a genetically determined HLA-DR3 and B8 aberrant immunological respons...