Platelet autoantibody specificity and response to rhTPO treatment in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia

Summary This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the relationship between plasma autoantibody species and rhTPO response in adult ITP patients who failed the first‐line treatments. Plasma anti‐glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa and anti‐GPIb/IX autoantibodies were detected in 47·2% and 40·6% of the 123 patients, respectively. Overall response rate to rhTPO treatment in patients without anti‐GPIb/IX autoantibodies was significantly higher than patients with anti‐GPIb/IX autoantibodies (82·2% vs. 60·0%, P = 0·006). By contrast, no statistical difference in response rate was observed between patients with or without anti‐GPIIb/IIIa autoantibodies (74·1% vs. 72·3%, P = 0·819). Therefore, the presence of anti‐GPIb/IX autoantibodies might serve as a predictive factor for poor response to rhTPO treatment in ITP.