Previous research suggests that individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DS) have an increased risk of bleeding following cardiac surgery. However, current guidelines for management of patients with 22q11.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough the most common front-line therapies for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) have been in use for decades, it is still not possible to predict an individual patient's clinical course and response to therapy. Patients are managed with a trial-and-error approach and often suffer side effects of therapies which could have been avoided if response prediction were possible. Corticosteroids are the most frequently used upfront therapy for adults and children with ITP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is the most common autoimmune cytopenia in children. Approximately, 25% of patients develop chronic disease, which may be unpredictable and challenging to treat. It is not currently possible to predict at the time of presentation which patients will have chronic disease or will experience symptoms requiring second-line therapy defined as treatment beyond corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, or Rh immune globulin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThrombocytopenia is a significant complication of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Platelet factor 4 (PF4; CXCL4) is a negative paracrine of megakaryopoiesis. We have shown that PF4 levels are inversely related to steady-state platelet counts, and to the duration and severity of chemotherapy- and radiation-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT and RIT, respectively).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DS) is associated with variable phenotypic expression as findings range from severely affected individuals with the classical triad of DiGeorge and velocardiofacial syndromes, including congenital heart disease, immunodeficiency, hypocalcemia, and palatal abnormalities, to subtly affected adults who only come to attention following the diagnosis of a more severely affected child. The multiple manifestations can affect all organ systems, including the hematologic system resulting in baseline lower platelet counts for individuals with 22q11.
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