TPO's - new article

This is a very interesting article. It might be beneficial to read for those of you who are hesitant to use TPO's because you think it might be a lifetime commitment.

www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/hematology/news/print/hematology-oncology/%7BB11CEC31-E0A4-4C96-89E0-D441862C9E10%7D/Eltrombopag-maintained-efficacy-after-cessation-in-immune-thrombocytopenia

Thank you, Sandi.

I don't understand this paragraph. Could you explain it to me?

"Responders demonstrated a lower absolute immature platelet fraction value when treatment was stopped (P=.022)."

Karen - this is what it means (IMO): The people who had good results with sustained platelet counts had fewer new platelets than normal in ITP. They know that because newer platelets are larger than older ones. This means that the responders were not only producing new platelets, but were able to keep the ones they had longer. This is good because it means that destruction of platelets eased up.

The big question I have is 'why'? What would the TPO's do to help stop destruction? I didn't see that answer anywhere.


"Immature Platelet Fraction (IPF, reticulated platelets) is the percent of platelets newly released from the bone marrow. IPF reflects the rate of thrombopoiesis."

www.utmb.edu/lsg/hem/IMMATURE%20PLATELET%20FRACTION.html

If anyone has a different definition of this, please respond.

Hmmm--I thought TPOs increased production of platelets so there would be MORE new ones. Does this mean that TPOs seem to work, but maybe not the way they were expected to work?

TPO's do increase production. But I think they are saying that people who could sustain counts after stopping the drug (partial remission), were not only able to produce new platelets but were able to keep the older platelets for a longer period of time.