ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study CXCR3 and CCR5 chemokine receptor expression in spleens of patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The splenectomy specimens from 10 ITP patients (ITP group) and 8 patients with traumatic splenic rupture (normal control group) were studied. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to study the positive rate of CXCR3 and CCR5. Western blot was performed to detect CXCR3 and CCR5 protein expression, while real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted to analyze their mRNA expression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rate of CXCR3 and CCR5 were both higher in ITP group (90% and 100%, respectively) than those in control group (75% and 87.5%, respectively)(P < 0.05). The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Protein and mRNA level of CXCR3 in ITP group were 3.0 and 3.5 times as high as those in control group, respectively. Those of CCR5 in ITP group were 1.2 and 1.7 times as high as those in control group, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>High expression of CXCR3 and CCR5 may play a part in the splenic immune disorders in patients with ITP.</p>