Heparin-induced platelet aggregation vs platelet factor 4 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia-thrombosis.

Thrombosis occurs in an unpredictable subset of patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). The diagnosis of HIT requires clinical suspicion and laboratory confirmation. Although the "gold-standard" diagnostic test is considered to be the serotonin release assay (SRA), most laboratories use heparin-induced platelet aggregation (HIPA), which is highly specific but reported to be less sensitive than the SRA. Recently, the heparin-platelet factor 4 (PF4) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been reported to have comparable sensitivity to the SRA. We compared the HIPA and PF4 ELISA in serum samples from 146 patients examined for HIT and assessed whether either test predicted thrombotic risk. Results for 81 patients were positive for HIPA, PF4 ELISA, or both. Of these, 91% were HIPA-positive, while only 60% were PF4 ELISA-positive. Clinical information was available on 63 patients, 17 of whom had thrombotic events (10 venous, 6 arterial, and 1 both). Neither the HIPA nor the PF4 ELISA predicted thrombotic risk, but the HIPA proved to be a more sensitive test for laboratory confirmation.

Hematologic disorders in children from southeast Asia.

The overall laboratory features of the common RBC disorders occurring in Southeast Asians is summarized in Table 4. These erythrocyte disorders will continue to be important public health issues, and it has been predicted that most new cases of thalassemia in the United States will occur in this population group. The fertility rate in Southeast Asian families is very high, with an average of more than five children delivered by each married woman. This number of children is consistent with perceptions of ideal family size, and, to date, no evidence suggests any change in the size of Southeast Asian families who now reside in the United States. Moreover, attitudes about health care, reasons why one seeks medical attention, and a variety of other cultural issues may impair the effectiveness of genetic counseling and other preventive measures designed to reduce the incidence of serious blood diseases. Genetic screening and prenatal diagnosis clearly have led to a markedly decreased incidence of homozygous thalassemia disorders in high-risk Mediterranean populations throughout the world. With further assimilation into Western culture, a similar disease may occur in the Southeast Asian population also.