Heparin-induced immune thrombocytopenia

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Intermittent intravenous heparin is used for arterial and venous thrombosis.
• Severe thrombocytopenia is a potential adverse effect of heparin therapy.

Observation:

• Five patients developed severe thrombocytopenia during heparin treatment.
• Platelet aggregation occurred when heparin was incubated with patient plasma or serum.

Findings:

• Heparin-dependent antiplatelet antibodies were detected in four of five patients.
• An immune mechanism is suggested to mediate the relationship between heparin and thrombocytopenia.

Implications:

• Heparin therapy may be linked to thrombocytopenia through an immune response.
• This heparin-induced thrombocytopenia syndrome may be more common than previously recognized.