Evaluation assays measuring platelet kinetics in bone marrow and peripheral blood. An overview.

Platelets play an important role in haemostasis and thrombosis. For an understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of thrombocytopenia, it is not sufficient to measure only the platelet count. Platelet kinetic parameters, such as platelet survival and turnover, might be useful because many thrombocytopenia related disorders result from the interaction between production, utilization or destruction, and sequestration of platelets. Therefore, measuring platelet turnover with radiolabelled platelets could be a sensitive and qualitative tool for clinicians. However, the method does not enjoy widespread use because it has some serious drawbacks, such as the problems associated with the manipulation of blood and platelets, and the use of radioactivity. Recently, other useful assays for measuring platelet fluxes have been described in the literature, including plasma thrombopoietin and glycocalicin. In this review, these new tests will be described, compared with the classical method using radiolabelled platelets, and finally evaluated for their usefulness in clinical practice.