Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia and Essential Thrombocythemia: So Different and yet Somehow Similar-Cases Series and a Review of the Literature

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 22; no. 20; p. 10918
• Main Authors: Sobas, Marta, Podolak-Dawidziak, Maria, Lewandowski, Krzysztof, Bator, Michał, Wróbel, Tomasz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 09.10.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Age; Antigens; Autoantigens - metabolism; Autoimmunity; Bone marrow; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; essential thrombocythemia; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura; immune thrombocytopenic purpura; Infections; Inflammation; Iodide Peroxidase - metabolism; Iron-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Literature reviews; Lupus; Mutation; Patients; platelet oscillation; Purpura; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic - genetics; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic - metabolism; Review; Thrombocythemia, Essential - genetics; Thrombocythemia, Essential - metabolism; Thrombocytopenia; Thrombopoietin; essential thrombocythemia; immune thrombocytopenic purpura; platelet oscillation
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms222010918

This article collects several published cases in which immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is followed by essential thrombocythemia (ET) and vice versa. This surprising clinical condition is possible, but very rare and difficult to diagnose and manage. We have made an attempt to analyse the possible causes of the sequential appearance of ITP and ET taking into consideration the following: alteration of the thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor, the role of autoimmunity and inflammation, and cytokine modulation. A better understanding of these interactions may provide opportunities to determine predisposing factors and aid in finding new treatment modalities both for ITP and ET patients.