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Laboratory Testing Protocols for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) Testing

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Hemostasis and Thrombosis

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1646))

Abstract

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) represents a significant high morbidity complication of heparin therapy. The clinicopathological diagnosis of HIT remains challenging for many reasons; thus, laboratory testing represents an important component of an accurate diagnosis. Although there are many assays available to assess HIT, these essentially fall into two categories—(a) immunological assays, and (b) functional assays. The current chapter presents protocols for several HIT assays, being those that are most commonly performed in laboratory practice and have the widest geographic distribution. These comprise a manual lateral flow-based system (STiC), a fully automated latex immunoturbidimetric assay, a fully automated chemiluminescent assay (CLIA), light transmission aggregation (LTA), and whole blood aggregation (Multiplate).

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Abbreviations

CLIA:

Chemiluminescent assay

HIT:

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

LMWH:

Low molecular weight heparin

LTA:

Light transmission aggregation

mAB:

Monoclonal antibody

PF4:

Platelet factor 4

PPP:

Platelet-poor plasma

PRP:

Platelet-rich plasma

PVS:

Polyvinyl sulfonate

UFH:

Unfractionated heparin

References

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank IL Werfen for previous and ongoing assistance with CLIA-based assay evaluations, as well as for checking the latex and CLIA-based HIT protocols outlined in this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Haematology, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), NSW Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia

    Kun Kan Edwin Lau & Soma Mohammed

  2. Haematology Department, Sydney Centres for Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), Westmead Hospital, NSW Health Pathology, Westmead, 2145 NSW, Australia

    Emmanuel J. Favaloro

  3. Department of Clinical and Laboratory Haematology, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia

    Leonardo Pasalic

  4. Sydney Centres for Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia

    Leonardo Pasalic

Authors
  1. Kun Kan Edwin Lau
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  2. Soma Mohammed
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  3. Leonardo Pasalic
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  4. Emmanuel J. Favaloro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emmanuel J. Favaloro .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Haematology, Sydney Centres for Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), NSW Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia

    Emmanuel J. Favaloro

  2. Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Giuseppe Lippi

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Lau, K.K.E., Mohammed, S., Pasalic, L., Favaloro, E.J. (2017). Laboratory Testing Protocols for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) Testing. In: Favaloro, E., Lippi, G. (eds) Hemostasis and Thrombosis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1646. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7196-1_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7196-1_19

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7194-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7196-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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