Experience of a platelet factor 3 immunoinjury technique in the detection of antiplatelet antibody in systemic lupus erythematosus and other clinical disorders.

Using a recently described platelet factor 3 (PF3) immunoinjury technique designed for the detection of antiplatelet antibody, sera from 62 patients were analysed. 30 of the subjects had systemic lupus erythematosus and the remaining 32 had other clinical disorders. Platelet survival studies were also carried out in every subject. The PF3 test proved positive in 10 of our patients. However, only 1 of these 10 subjects had shortened platelet survival. It is concluded that the PF3 test does not appear to be of use in the detection of circulating antiplatelet antibody.