A murine model of severe immune thrombocytopenia is induced by antibody- and CD8+ T cell-mediated responses that are differentially sensitive to therapy.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a bleeding disorder characterized by antibody-opsonized platelets being prematurely destroyed in the spleen, although some patients with ITP may have a cell-mediated form of thrombocytopenia. Although several animal models of ITP have been developed, few mimic primary chronic ITP nor have any shown cell-mediated platelet destruction. To create this type of model, splenocytes from CD61 knockout mice immunized against CD61(+) platelets were transferred into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) (CD61(+)) mouse recipients, and their platelet counts and phenotypes were observed.