Thrombocytopenia in Experimental Trypanosomiasis

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Abstract

The effect of experimental trypanosomiasis on coagulation was studied because a patient in this hospital with Rhodesian trypanosomiasis developed thrombocytopenia with disseminated intravascular coagulation. Rats injected intraperitoneally with this strain of Trypanosoma rhodesiense consistently developed trypanosomiasis and severe thrombocytopenia without changes in hematocrit or concentration of fibrinogen or fibrin split products. At the time of 50% mortality (4-5 days) mean platelet counts per cubic millimeter of infected rats were 18,000±9,000 (±2 SEM) compared to 1,091,000±128,000 in uninfected controls.

Authors

Charles E. Davis, Robert S. Robbins, Richard D. Weller, Abraham I. Braude