Pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by antibody-mediated platelet destruction. The platelet, as an accessible target, has made ITP an attractive disorder in the study of autoimmunity. However, the pathogenesis of ITP has proven complex with diverse pre-existing challenges to the immune system in the form of infection, genetic predisposition, underlying autoimmune repertoire, inhibition of platelet production, perturbations of cell mediated affector and effector pathways, sequestered harbors within lymphoid organs, and responsiveness to intervention. This chapter surveys key new insights into the pathogenesis of ITP and attempts to integrate them into a model that may serve as a template for future investigation.