| abstract |
There is disclosed a method for detecting drug-induced thrombocytopenia, which comprises the steps of:n (a) treating blood platelets with serum or plasma derived from a patient suspected of having a drug-induced thrombocytopenia and with a drug suspected of causing the thrombocytopenia; (b) incubating the treated platelets for from 15 to 25 minutes at a temperature of from 21 C to 24 C; (c) washing the incubated platelets with a wash solution containing the drug and then resuspending the platelets; (d) contacting, and incubating together, the resuspended platelets with a solid support having a specific binding protein bound thereto, (e) decanting unbound platelets; (f) measuring the bound platelets by: (i) contacting, and incubating, the solid support having platelets bound thereto and an enzyme conjugate; (ii) removing unbound material; (iii) contacting, and incubating together, the support-platelet-enzyme conjugate complex, and a substrate; and (iv) determining the quantity of substrate acted upon by the enzyme conjugate; and (g) comparing the determined quantity with at least one of a standard value and a value derived by subjecting a drug-free control to steps (a) to (f). |