A study of seven patients with AILD has confirmed previously reported cytological and immunological changes in the peripheral blood. In themselves these changes should not be considered as specific. Histological examination of the bone marrow may show more characteristic lesions which involve haemopoietic, lymphoid, and stromal cells. Three patients had bone marrow features similar to myelofibrosis, which are considered to be diagnostic of AILD.
Peripheral blood lymphocytes were studied using OKT3, OKT4 and OKT8 monoclonal antibodies in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura ITP) before and after high dose gammaglobulin therapy. Total lymphocyte counts increased in 8 of 10 patients studied within 16 weeks of presentation (acute ITP) but decreased in all 6 with chronic (6 months-14 years) thrombocytopenia ( P = 0.003). A relative increase in the proportion of inducer-helper (OKT4) cells was seen in 5 of 6 patients with sustained responses whereas there was no clear cut change or a relative increase in suppressor-cytotoxic (OKT8) cells in 7 or 9 with transient responses. The data suggest that short term gammaglobulin therapy may induce sustained responses by immunoregulation of T-lymphocyte subsets.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.