PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - D I Evans
TI  - Immune amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia of the newborn: association with anti-HLA-A2.
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.40.3.258
DP  - 1987 Mar 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 258--261
VI  - 40
IP  - 3
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/40/3/258.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/40/3/258.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol1987 Mar 01; 40
AB  - Three newborn babies with congenital immune amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia are described. Two were siblings. The mothers' sera showed antibody against both pooled random platelets and lymphocytes of type HLA-A2. Two babies had transient thrombocytopenia and leucopenia and made a full haematological recovery. One baby died aged four hours having had no haematological investigations during life. Histological examination of the bone marrow in all three babies (two by trephine biopsy; one at necropsy) confirmed a deficiency of megakaryocytes. It is suggested that anti-HLA-A2 may cause neonatal thrombocytopenia by depressing megakaryocytes instead of, or in addition to, any direct effect on platelets.