Cellular immune mechanisms in chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP)

Chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP) is a common autoimmune-mediated bleeding disease in which autoantibodies are directed against platelets, resulting in their enhanced Fc-mediated destruction by macrophages in the spleen. While there has been extensive studies relating to the autoantibodies in this autoimmune disorder, relatively few have dealt with cell-mediated immunoregulation of the anti-platelet autoantibody response. Nonetheless, there is accumulating evidence that suggests the production of these anti-platelet autoantibodies is under the influence of several abnormal lymphocyte-mediated mechanisms, i.e. enhanced anti-platelet T helper cell activity with concomitant reduced T suppressor cell activity. This review focuses on these cellular events and presents a working model which attempts to explain their close interrelationships.