have you tried the silverpets list? Here is some info from wikipedia
about humans, may be relevant:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platelet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia (or -paenia, or thrombopenia in short) is the presence
of relatively few platelets in blood.
Often, low platelet levels do not lead to clinical problems; rather,
they are picked up on a routine full blood count. Occasionally, there
may be bruising, particularly purpura in the forearms, nosebleeds
and/or bleeding gums.
It is vital that a full medical history is elicited, to ensure the low
platelet count is not due to a secondary process. It is also important
to ensure that the other blood cell types red blood cells, and white
blood cells, are not also suppressed.
*Diagnosis
Laboratory tests might include: full blood count, liver enzymes, renal
function, vitamin B12 levels, folic acid levels, erythrocyte
sedimentation rate, and peripheral blood smear.
If the cause for the low platelet count remains unclear, bone marrow
biopsy is often undertaken, to differentiate whether the low platelet
count is due to decreased production or peripheral destruction.
*Causes
Decreased platelet counts can be due to a number of disease processes:
Decreased production
vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency
leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome
Decreased production of thrombopoietin by the liver in liver failure.
Sepsis, systemic viral or bacterial infection
Dengue fever can cause thrombocytopenia by direct infection of bone
marrow megakaryocytes as well as immunological shortened platelet
survival
Hereditary syndromes
Congenital Amegakaryocytic Thromboytopenia (CAMT)
Thrombocytopenia absent radius syndrome
Fanconi anemia
Bernard-Soulier syndrome, associated with large platelets
May-Hegglin anomaly, the combination of thrombocytopenia, pale-blue
leuckocyte inclusions, and giant platelets
Grey platelet syndrome
Alport syndrome
Increased destruction
idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS)
disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)
antiphospholipid syndrome
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
post transfusion purpura
neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAITP)
Splenic sequestration of platelets due to hypersplenism
Dengue fever has been shown to cause shortened platelet survival and
immunological platelet destruction
Medication-induced
The most comprehensive list of thrombocytopenia-inducing medications is
maintained by Dr. James George at Ohio State University at this
website, though last updated in 2004. A small subset of drug-induced
thrombocytopenia culprits:
Drug name:
Heparin
Valproic acid
Quinidine
Abciximab
Sulfonamide antibiotics
Interferons
Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine
Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors
Clopidogrel
Vancomycin [1][2]
Linezolid
Famotidine
Direct myelosuppression
Valproic acid
Methotrexate
Carboplatin
Interferon
Other chemotherapy drugs
Immunological platelet destruction
Drug binds Fab portion of an antibody. The classic example of this
mechanism is the quinidine group of drugs. The Fc portion of the
antibody molecule is not involved in the binding process.
Drug binds to Fc, and drug-antibody complex binds and activates
platelets. Heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is the classic
example of this phenomenon. In HIT, the heparin-antibody-platelet
factor 4 (PF4) complex binds to Fc receptors on the surface of the
platelet. Since Fc portion of the antibody is bound to the platelets,
they are not available to the Fc receptors of the reticulo-endothelial
cells, so therefore this system cannot destroy platelets as usual. This
may explain why severe thrombocytopenia is not a common feature of HIT.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT or white clot syndrome): this is
a rare but serious condition that may occur in a hospitalized
population. The most common clinical setting for HIT is in
postoperative coronary artery bypass graft recipients, who may receive
large quantities of heparin during surgery. HIT typically occurs about
a week after exposure to heparin. The heparin-PF4 antibody complex will
activate the platelets, and this can often lead to thrombosis. The term
HITT, where the last T stands for thrombosis, denotes the concept that
heparin-induced thrombocytopenia often is associated with thrombosis.
Treatment
Treatment is guided by etiology and disease severity. The main concept
in treating thrombocytopenia is to eliminate the underlying problem,
whether that means discontinuing suspected drugs that cause
thrombocytopenia, or treating underlying sepsis. Diagnosis and
treatment of serious thrombocytopenia is usually directed by a
hematologist.
Specific treatment plans often depend on the underlying etiology of the
thrombocytopenia.
On Sep 6, 2007, at 9:43 PM, Day Sutton wrote:
My BMD (105 lbs) is still quite sick. He just is barely able to get
up. Doctors said today that his platelet count is 36. Normal is
150. Anyone know what this means, and will CS or DMSO help?
--
Day Sutton
[email protected]
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