Reclassification of the Thrombocytopenias by the Cr⁵¹-Labeling Method for Measuring Platelet Life Span

THE classification of the thrombocytopenias has been based on bone-marrow cytology,1 2 3 4 various technics to demonstrate circulating antiplatelet substances,5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 response to therapeutic measures such as corticosteroids or splenectomy13 14 15 16 17 18 19 and measurement of the platelet life span, with or without the use of radioactive labeling procedures.20 21 22 23 24 25 This study is concerned with an attempt to classify the thrombocytopenias on the basis of life-span studies using the Cr51-labeling technic of Aas and Gardner.24 The report is a culmination of five years' experience involving the administration of some 300 Cr51-labeled transfusions in normal and thrombocytopenic subjects. The technic has been perfected sufficiently now to . . .