Posttransfusion purpura associated with an autoantibody directed against a previously undefined platelet antigen

Although alloantibody against the PLA1 platelet antigen is usually found in patients with posttransfusion purpura (PTP), the mechanism of destruction of the patient's own PLA1-negative platelets is unexplained. We used a sensitive immunoblot technique to detect antiplatelet antibodies in a patient with classic PTP. The patient's acute-phase serum contained antibodies against three proteins present in control (PLA1-positive) platelets: an antibody that bound to a previously unrecognized platelet protein of mol wt 120,000 [glycoprotein (GP) 120], antibodies that bound to PLA1 (mol wt 90,000), and an epitope of GP IIb (mol wt 140,000). The antibodies against PLA1 and GP IIb did not react with the patient's own PLA1-negative platelets, control PLA1-negative platelets, or thrombasthenic platelets. In contrast, the antibody against GP 120 recognized this protein in all three platelet preparations, but not in Bernard-Soulier or Leka (Baka)-negative platelets. Antibody against GP 120 was not detected in the patient's recovery serum, although the antibodies against PLA1 and GP IIb persisted. F(ab)2 prepared from the patient's acute-phase serum also bound to GP 120. These results suggest that in PTP, transient autoantibody production may be responsible for autologous (PLA1-negative) platelet destruction. In addition, alloantibodies against more than one platelet alloantigen may be found in this disease. The nature of the GP 120 autoantigen and the GP IIb- related alloantigen defined by our patient's serum remains to be determined.