Sir.—I read with interest the article by Movassaghi et al entitled "Antiplatelet Antibodies in Childhood Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura" (Journal 133:257-259, 1979). However, I cannot agree with their conclusion that platelet antibody usually disappears with recovery from thrombocytopenia in childhood ITP. We have already shown in three chronic and five acute cases of childhood ITP that have been in remission for up to six years that mean platelet survival is shorter with platelet opsonization in five cases (in whom it could be determined).1.2
The study has been extended to include 14 children with ITP (six chronic and eight acute) in remission, and again, severe reduction in platelet survival (mean, 4.0 days, which is shorter than in previous reports1.2) with platelet opsonization was shown in every case. The antiplatelet antibodies shown by the Handin and Stossel method3 related to acute phase and remission of 49 childhood ITP cases, and