Laboratory diagnosis of autoimmune cytopenias

The past year's literature shows that little progress has been achieved in the laboratory diagnosis. of autoimmune hemolytic. anemia. The direct antiglobulin test is the only diagostic test for autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Advantages of new techniques, such as the gel test, have to be determined. Today, cephalosporins are known to cause both drug-dependent and -independent autoantibodies. The diagnosis of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is a clinical one. The new assays that measure antibodies against specific glycoproteins offer improved specificity. New laboratory advancements and accumulation of data on granylocytes' antigens and antibodies enabled us to recommend guidelines for the laboratory investigation. of autoimmune neutropenia. Curr Opin Hematol 2000, 7:414-419 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.