[Rosette forming lymphocytes as prognostic indices in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura]

The study included 12 patients with acute ITP to whom subpopulations of rosette forming lymphocytes were determined in peripheral blood and in serial form, the number of platelets to establish a correlation as prognostic index in the evolution of the disease. No correlation was found between the progressive increment of platelets in the evolution of the disease. However, in patients with a tendency to remission, the percentage of E(T) rosette forming lymphocytes was low and normal that of EAC (B) lymphocytes. Dissimilarly, it was seen that in patients without tendency to remission, the percentage of T and B rosette forming lymphocytes was within normal limits. This seems to show that determination of the subpopulations of lymphocytes may be useful as a prognostic index in this stage of the disease.