Platelet associated IgG in uremia

Platelet-associated IgG (PAIgG) levels, a useful adjunct for the evaluation of patients with immunologic mediated thrombocytopenia, were obtained in 36 patients with end stage renal disease undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Twenty-five of the 36 had elevated PAIgG. Nine of the 36 were thrombocytopenic and only 3 of the 9 had elevated PAIgG. Fifteen patients in the group admitted to recent substance abuse. All but one had elevated PAIgG and only one patient was thrombocytopenic. In contrast to patients with idiopathic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a direct relationship was not found between PAIgG and total platelet protein (TPP) in the uremic group. It can be concluded that PAIgG values in patients with uremia are difficult to interpret since elevated PAIgG values are found in the majority of uremic patients with normal platelets counts.