Antibodies specifically reacting with platelets only in the presence of EDTA, by the platelet immunofluorescence test, were found in the serum of 20 patients with pseudothrombocytopenia due to in vitro EDTA-dependent platelet agglutination. These antibodies reacted optimally at 0-4 degree C. In 19 patients, IgG antibodies were detected; in 8 patients, IgM or IgA antibodies were also found. In o...

In 42 patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AITP) and a positive direct platelet suspension immunofluorescence test (PSIFT), the antigenic specificity of the autoantibodies was studied. Because the autoantibodies were often not detectable in the serum and additional HLA antibodies may disturb the reaction pattern with the platelet panel, we used eluates prepared from the patients' platelet...

Platelets play an important role in thrombosis and in neo-vascularisation as they release and produce factors that both promote and suppress angiogenesis. Amongst these factors is the angiogenesis inhibitor angiostatin, which is released during thrombus formation. The impact of anti-thrombotic agents and the kinetics of platelet angiostatin release are unknown. Hence, our objectives were to cha...

The anti-complement immunofluorescence (ACIF) technique was evaluated for the diagnosis of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in a group of sera derived from renal transplant recipients and donors by comparing it with the indirect immunofluorescence (FA) and complement fixation (CF) TESTS. The ACIF and FA tests yielded similar results. However, the ACIF test had a distinct advantage over the...

Herpetic lesions of the genitalia may be confused clinically with other ulcerative, genital lesions. Direct immunofluorescence (FA) provides a rapid method of diagnosis, and the utility of this method for the diagnosis of genital ulcers was examined. One hundred and ten patients with genital lesions were examined by darkfield for syphilis and by FA and culture for herpes simplex virus (HSV) inf...

New nanomaterials intended for systemic administration have raised concerns regarding their biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. Quantum dots (QD) nanoparticles have been used for diagnostics, and recent work suggests their use for in vivo molecular and cellular imaging. However, the hemocompatibility of QDs and their constituent components has not been fully elucidated. In the present study...