Aberrant Expression of a Proliferation-Inducing Ligand Underlies Autoimmune Mechanisms in Immune Thrombocytopenia

Purpose. To study the relationship between surface membrane-bound APRIL and ITP. Methods. The peripheral blood of all subjects, 50 patients diagnosed with ITP and 25 healthy controls, was collected. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of membrane-bound APRIL on immune cells and platelets. ELISA was used to detect the content of soluble APRIL in plasma. Results. Membrane-bound APRIL was only expressed on the surface of platelets in both ITP patients and controls. APRIL expression on the platelet surface was significantly lower in newly diagnosed (P