Two patients with a long history of unexplained thrombocytopenia, eventually diagnosed with von Willebrand's disease (vWD) type 2B are reported. In one patient with platelet counts of 80 x 10(9)/l 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) had a favourable effect during bleeding episodes. The second patient received intermediate purity von Willebrand's factor (vWF)/factor VIII concentrate (Hae...

This study was a before and after clinical evaluation of Helicobacter pylori eradication on platelet counts in a group of 23 patients with chronic Idiopathic (Autoimmune) thrombocytopenic purpura (CITP). H. pylori infection was identified in patients by a (13)C-urea breath test and confirmed by an H. pylori stool antigen test. Eradication was conducted in patients testing positive. Infected (n ...

Romiplostim, a thrombopoietin-mimetic peptibody, increases and maintains platelet counts in adults with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). In this first study of a thrombopoietic agent in children, patients with ITP of ≥ 6 months' duration were stratified by age 1:2:2 (12 months-< 3 years; 3-< 12 years; 12-< 18 years). Children received subcutaneous injections of romiplostim (n = 17) or placebo (n ...

The aim of this study was to compare the mean platelet volume (MPV) in babies of preeclamptic and normal pregnant women and to investigate the correlation between thrombocytopenia and MPV in the babies of preeclamptic mothers. A total of 63 newborns with similar gestational ages were included in this retrospective study. They were divided into three groups as 21 babies of preeclamptic mothers w...

Congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a very rare but potentially life-threatening disorder. This phase I/II trial compared the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and safety of three different administration modes of the anti-von Willebrand factor (VWF) aptamer ARC1779. This was a prospective clinical trial with a partial cross-over design: three periods comprised subcutane...

The threshold for prophylactic platelet transfusions in patients with hypoplastic thrombopenia generally recommended in the standard literature is 20,000 platelets/mL. A more restrictive transfusion policy may be indicated in patients with chronic severe aplastic anemia (SAA) in need of long-term platelet support. We evaluated the feasibility and safety of a policy with low thresholds for proph...

The threshold for prophylactic platelet transfusions in patients with hypoplastic thrombopenia generally recommended in the standard literature is 20,000 platelets/microL. A more restrictive transfusion policy may be indicated in patients with chronic severe aplastic anemia (SAA) in need of long-term platelet support. We evaluated the feasibility and safety of a policy with low thresholds for p...

Dear Editor The recently launched hematology autoanalyzer Sysmex XN2000 (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) provides a new method (PLT-F method) for platelet counting based on a fluorescent RNA staining dye named oxazine [1, 2]. The main advantage of the XN2000’s PLT-F method over the former instrument XE-2100’s optical method (PLT-O method) is the ability to identify apoptotic white cells and not count them...