Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), formerly called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, is a common acquired bleeding disordered characterized by isolated thrombocytopenia in the absence of a clinically apparent cause. Currently there is no diagnostic test for ITP; thus establishing the diagnosis can be…
Introduction Of the circulating blood cells, the platelet was the last to be fully described and its attributes determined. Although early studies by Osler, Hayam, and Bizzozero had identified small particles in the blood, these were thought to be bacteria,…
von Willebrand disease (VWD), transmitted in an autosomal fashion, is the most common of the inherited bleeding disorders. It is caused by a decrease in the quantity of von Willebrand factor (VWF) or a qualitatively abnormal VWF in the circulation…
Introduction and Overview In 1941 Lawrence and Johnson described a “circulating anticoagulant” in a patient with hemophilia who became refractory to blood transfusions for the treatment of bleeding. Over the next several years, they and others determined that this substance…
In this chapter the less common congenital disorders of hemostasis are discussed. These include disorders of fibrinogen, prothrombin, and factors V, VII, X, and XI. (Disorders of factors VIII and IX are discussed in Chapter 3 .) In addition, the…
Epidemiology and Genetics The hemophilias are the best known of the hereditary bleeding disorders. Hemophilia A or B arises as the result of a congenital deficiency of coagulation factor protein VIII or IX, respectively. Both are X-linked recessive disorders, almost…
Introduction In the current medical climate of laboratory expertise and automation, an expanded menu of increasingly sophisticated testing can provide immediately meaningful diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic indicators. On the other hand, economic justification and insurance “gatekeeping” often constrain the physician's…
Life is short, and the art long, the occasion fleeting, experience fallacious, and judgment difficult. a Hippocrates (460–370 bc ) is considered to be the founder of European medicine. He lived in Greece during the Classic Period and was a…
Acknowledgments Dr. Cornetta's effort was supported, in part, with Federal funds from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. 75N92019D00018 for the National Gene Vector Biorepository Program.…
Introduction The growing clinical experience with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells targeting CD19 has indicated that this therapy can induce remission in a high percentage of relapsed and refractory patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) or B-cell non-Hodgkin's…