Alloimmune Thrombocytopaenic Disorders: A Review

Abstract

Alloimmune thrombocytopaenia (AIT) is caused by alloantibodies against specific platelet glycoproteins. Alloimmune thrombocytopaenic disorders include alloimmune neonatal thrombocytopaenia, posttransfusion purpura, refractoriness to platelet transfusions, passive AIT, and transplantation-associated AIT. In this review we have summarised five thrombocytopaenic syndromes caused by platelet-reactive alloantibodies. Increased awareness of these syndromes, together with the greater availability of highly specialised laboratory methods to detect and to characterise platelet-reactive alloantibodies, will lead to their more frequent diagnosis.