An irregular, disc-shaped element in the blood that assists in blood clotting. During normal blood clotting, the platelets clump together (aggregate). Although platelets are often classed as blood cells, they are actually fragments of large bone marrow cells called megakaryocytes.
The search for alloantibodies against HPA was performed by a standard indirect immunofluorescence test on random and HPA-typed donor platelets. The samples were also run on a monoclonal antibodyimmobilized platelet antigen (MAIPA) test to define the specificity of the recognized antigen.
Tazzari, PL., et al. (1998). ‘Alloimmunization against human platelet antigen 2 (HPA2) in a series of multi-transfused beta-thalassemia patients’. Haematologica 83(8):765-6. (RISCEN46)