Rosiglitazone-induced immune thrombocytopenia.

ABSTRACT

Rosiglitazone is one of the members in the thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of anti-diabetic agents that have proven efficacy in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. We studied serum from a patient who developed acute, severe thrombocytopenia after exposure to rosiglitazone maleate (Avandia) and proposed the mechanisms for rosiglitazone-induced thrombocytopenia. Tested by flow cytometry, the patient's serum was positive for rosiglitazone-induced antibody with the binding ratio of 5.93 (mean fluorescence intensity, MFI) in the presence of the patient's serum and rosiglitazone in a final concentration of 0.53 mmol/l. The antibody was found to bind both glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa complex and GP Ib/IX complex by MAIPA assay using five different monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against GP complexes Ib/IX, GPIIb/IIIa or GPIa/IIa. Immunoprecipitation studies showed that both GPIIb/IIIa and GP Ib/IX complex were precipitated by antibody in the presence, but not in the absence of rosiglitazone. These findings provide evidence that immune thrombocytopenia can be caused by sensitivity to the antidiabetic agent rosiglitazone maleate. This report documents the first case of rosiglitazone-induced immune thrombocytopenia.