Prevalence of platelet reactive antibodies in patient's refractory to platelet transfusions

Though platelet transfusions have greatly reduced the incidence of major haemorrhagic complications associated with the management of haematological and oncological disorders, refractoriness to infused platelets becomes a major clinical problem for many of these patients.

The present study was done to determine the percentage of platelet alloimmunisation due to platelet-reactive antibodies in 340 patients with hematologic or oncologic diseases who had received multiple transfusions (> 10) of blood and blood components and showed platelet refractoriness in 1-hour post transfusion sample.

Platelet-reactive antibodies were detected in the sera of 127 out of 340 patients (37.35%) who received multiple transfusions (> 10) and showed platelet refractoriness.

Platelet-reactive antibodies appear to be an important cause of platelet refractoriness in patients of acute leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, NHL, MDS and multiple myeloma receiving multiple platelet transfusions. Platelet refractoriness in patients of ITP and chronic leukaemia appears to be due to other causes and not due to platelet-reactive antibodies.