Immune thrombocytopenia in a patient with COVID-19.

This case report describes immune thrombocytopenic purpura in a 41-year-old man hospitalized in the intensive-care unit for COVID-19, 13 days after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms with respiratory failure at admission. Acute respiratory distress syndrome was treated with, among other drugs, low-molecular-weight heparin. On day 8, his platelet count began descending rapidly. On day 10, heparin treatment was replaced by danaparoid sodium, but by day 13, the continued low platelet count made a diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia unlikely. Normocytic nonregenerative anemia gradually developed. On day 13, a bone marrow aspiration showed numerous megakaryocytes and a few signs of hemophagocytosis. Corticosteroids were introduced on day 14, and platelets began rising after 3 days and then fell again on day 19. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IV Ig) was then administered. Two days later, the platelet count returned to normal. The immune cause was confirmed by ruling out the differential diagnoses and the excellent and rapid response to intravenous immunoglobulins. Finally, the patient's respiratory state improved. He was discharged to a respiratory rehabilitation unit on day 38. Our case suggests that an immunological cause should be considered in patients with thrombocytopenia during COVID-19.

Analytical performances of Hemoclot Protein C Reagent on ACL TOP analyzer.

Our study aimed to evaluate and validate according to standard NF EN ISO 15189 the original protocol ajustement of Hemoclot Protein C (PC) (Hyphen BioMed), clotting-based assay of PC on ACL TOP analyzer (Werfen/Instrumentation Laboratory). We evaluated the performance in terms of imprecision and we validate additional parameters in range B required by the SH GTA 04 (COFRAC): repeatability, reproducibility, detection and quantification limits, limits of linearity, stability, inter-samples and inter-reagents contamination, inaccuracy, evaluation of interferences (hemolysis, bilirubinemia and chyles). A comparison with Hemoclot PC on STA Compact analyzer (Stago) was performed. Coefficients of variation were lower than 5 %. Detection and quantification limits were respectively 8.3 % and 9.3 %. Superior limit of linearity was 140 %. The test didn't diplay any inter-samples and inter-reagents contamination. Reagent after reconstitution was stable 6 hours on ACL TOP. No interferences were observed for hemoglobin lower than 500 mg/dL, for bilirubin lower than and for chyles lower than 300 mg/dL. Comparison with Hemoclot PC on STA analyzer (Stago) was satisfactory. Hemoclot PC adjusted on ACL TOP analyzer showed satisfactory analytical performances with criteria chosen in our study. These data allow a better knowledge of the performances of this test and were useful to make a validation file in range B as recommended by SH GTA 04.